Overview

• The Supreme Court overturned the Kerala High Court’s shared custody order, granting sole custody of an 8-year-old girl to her mother.
• Key factors in the decision included the father’s inability to provide home-cooked meals and the child’s separation from her 3-year-old brother.
• The Court highlighted the health risks of relying on restaurant food and the lack of emotional and social support in the father’s care.
• The mother, who works from home and lives with her parents, was found to provide a more stable and nurturing environment for the child.
• The father was granted alternate weekend visitation and biweekly video calls, while the family court was directed to expedite permanent custody proceedings.