Supreme Court · Case note
Sugirtha v. Gowtham
A decision on the location and arrangements for interim visitation with a young child while matrimonial proceedings were pending.
This page summarizes an interim-visitation decision only. It does not state or imply that Advocate Sunil Kumar Upadhyay represented a party or was involved in the matter.
Issue before the Court
The appeal concerned the place where a father could exercise interim visitation with his young daughter during pending matrimonial proceedings. The existing arrangement required the mother to travel from Madurai to Karur for visits, a distance the Supreme Court recorded as about 150 kilometres each way.
Decision
The Supreme Court partly allowed the appeal on the limited question of venue. It moved the visits to Madurai and directed Sunday visitation from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in a public park or temple premises. Given the child’s age, the mother was to remain present at a distance of about 10 feet.
What the decision did not determine
The Court expressly treated the appeal as concerning the place of interim visitation. It did not finally determine custody or adjudicate the underlying allegations between the parents. The outcome should not be described as a final custody ruling.
