The Bombay High Court on Friday suggested to actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his estranged wife to resolve their differences about their two minor children amicably. Siddiqui has moved High Court with a habeas corpus (produce the person) petition seeking direction from his estranged wife, Zainab, to reveal the whereabouts of their children - a 12-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son.
A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and P D Naik asked the actor and his wife to speak and resolve their differences over the children.
"He (Siddiqui) is only concerned about his children and their education. Speak with each other and settle the communication and visitation rights between the father and children. If it can be worked out, then good...settle the matter amicably...resolve the issues," the court said.
Advocate Pradeep Thorat, appearing for Siddiqui, told the court that the actor was unaware of the whereabouts of his children. "The petitioner (Siddiqui) thought his children were in Dubai. But he has now got a mail from the children's school warning to rusticate them as they have not been attending their classes," Thorat said.
He added that the actor's estranged wife had in November 2022 come to India from Dubai without the children. The woman and her children are permanent residents of Dubai, he said. The bench sought to know from Zainab's lawyer, Rizwan Siddiquee, about the children's whereabouts.
Rizwan Siddiquee told the court that the children are with their biological mother and do not wish to leave her and return to Dubai. "Both the children want to be in India with their mother. They want to continue their education here. The respondent (estranged wife) is looking at all the options," he said.
The bench then asked the wife to inform the court by next week what has been decided with regard to the children's education.
"We only want to know that their education is not getting disturbed. He (Siddiqui) is concerned about the whereabouts of the children and schooling," the court said.
The children are with their biological mother, so that is settled, the bench said, adding it would now want to know about their schooling.The bench posted the matter for further hearing on March 3.
Last month, the Versova police had booked Zainab for alleged trespass and voluntarily causing hurt on a complaint from the actor's mother, Mehrunisa Siddiqui. She had alleged Zainab trespassed into her home and assaulted her after picking up an argument.
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