Overview

• The Supreme Court bench reprimanded the mother for allegedly coaching her 12-year-old daughter to assault her father with a stick, demanding ₹1 crore for living with him.
• The court noted that the mother had deleted the father’s name from the child’s school records in defiance of a district court custody order.
• Justice Ritu Bahri, former Uttarakhand High Court chief justice, was appointed as mediator to address custody and related issues.
• A follow-up hearing has been scheduled in eight weeks to review progress and ensure adherence to the mediation plan.
• The decision reflects the apex court’s shift toward alternative dispute resolution in high-conflict custody cases to safeguard the child’s best interests.