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Publication: Bangalore Mirror;Date: Feb 27, 2012;Section: Front Page;Page: 5

Womens empowerment and ego problems are spoiling society:


HC judge
Both parents pamper the child to make it avoid the other
parent...
Woman takes alimony from ex-husband but doesnt let
him meet their daughter. Enraged, the judge added, You
want his money, but dont want him to see the child
S Shyam Prasad shyam.prasad1@timesgroup.com
The society is being spoilt because of womens empowerment and ego problems, an angry judge told an
advocate whose woman client accepts alimony from her former husband, but refuses him the right to visit their
daughter.
The division bench of Justice K L Manjunath and Justice K Govindarajulu were hearing an appeal by Binu Vineet,
seeking visitation rights to see his minor daughter whom he had not seen for seven years. The 16-year-old girl lives
with her mother, Shiny.
Shinys advocate argued against the plea, saying Vineet was not interested in the child and had not paid child
maintenance for years.
Vineet, who was present in court, said, If there is even a single rupee pending from my side as child
maintenance, I would withdraw this appeal.
Justice Manjunath asked Shinys advocate if the girls father was paying the monthly maintenance. When told he
was, the judge said, You tried to create an impression that he was not paying for the last three years. I am sorry to
say this, but society is being spoilt because of womens empowerment, ego problems and small issues being blown
out of proportion. I do not know where the society is headed with such attitude. Both the parents pamper the child to
make it avoid the other parent. The child takes money from both the parents, and will end up as a vagabond on the
streets. Even the judges are to be blamed for this. They pass orders on just the facts, without considering humane
issues.
Justice Manjunath said that advocates had the responsibility of trying to get the parties to reconcile. He further
said that the woman in this case was behind money. You want his money, but dont want him to see the child, the
judge said.
DIVORCED IN 2005
Vineet and Shiny were married on June 23, 1994, at St Georges Church, Kerala. They divorced through mutual
consent in March 2005. Their only daughter is now 16 years. Vineet has been trying to get custody and visitation
rights for years. In 2008, the trial court rejected his plea, and Vineet moved the high court last year.
In its order, the HC said, We tried to persuade the parties to reconcile. But the respondent says that the
daughter is not willing to meet her father. The respondent contends that the child has apprehensions about meeting
her father and fears that she would not be compatible and comfortable. We cannot appreciate her arguments on
these grounds based on the childs response.
The court also noted that the child is now studying in Std X in a reputed school in Bangalore and would join college
shortly. The appellant is allowed to meet his daughter once in two weeks for three to four hours, the court ordered.
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Vineets advocate, Siju Abraham Verghese of Ranjit Shankar Associates, said, The case for custody of the girl
started in 2001, when she was just five years old. In the past seven years, the father did not get to meet his
daughter even once despite both of them living in the same city.
A case was also filed when our client went to his former wifes house to see his daughter. The comment made by
the judge was of a serious nature, but very true. The wifes advocate told the court that maintenance had not been
paid for the past five years. It is totally false. There had been blatant misuse of law by women in some cases which
was looked into by the court today. Any number of problems may arise between the husband and wife but even as
advocates we have to look at the welfare of the child and try make the parents reach a settlement as far as the child
is concerned.
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