On Wednesday, in an extraordinary development highlighting concerns of courtroom safety and the welfare of minor children, the Punjab & Haryana High Court granted interim custody of two minor children to their mother following an incident in which the father allegedly assaulted the mother’s counsel while in a “totally drunken state.” The Court also directed the Union Territory Administration to ensure the petitioner’s safety during custody handover.
The case arose from a matrimonial dispute between Baljeet Kaur and Vimal Parkash, with the parties contesting custody of three minor children. Earlier, in September 2025, the Court had ordered that the children be allowed to spend time together, noting, “It is unfortunate that in a dispute between a couple, the children are being used as pawns. The children have been unfortunately separated and no effort is being made by either of the parties to at least ensure that the siblings remain in touch with each other.”
Despite these directions, the Respondent failed to comply with the Court’s order to bring the children to the petitioner's residence on October 2, 2025, resulting in a delayed handover. Matters escalated during the post-lunch session of October 8, 2025, when the father reportedly hit the petitioner’s counsel in Court. The Bench noted, “the counsel for the petitioner informed the Court that during the lunch break the respondent hit the counsel for the petitioner and that he was in a totally drunken state. She further apprised the Court that the Police was called on the spot who have taken the respondent in custody.”
The Court was informed by Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association President Sartej Singh Narula that the respondent was in police custody and that assistance would be provided to the counsel, including accompaniment to the police station. The Court also highlighted the irregularity in the respondent’s entry, observing, “It appears that the respondent entered the Court premises without any authorization from his own lawyer. It remains uncertain as to whether the respondent was issued any pass or managed to enter the premises without a pass.”
Given the gravity of the father’s conduct and the potential risk to the children, Justice Alka Sarin deemed it appropriate to hand over the custody of the two minor children under the respondent’s care to the petitioner-mother on an interim basis. The Court observed, “What is of great concern to this Court is that all the three minor children are present in Court today. On an interaction by this Court, both the children whose custody is with the respondent-father have expressed their willingness to accompany the petitioner-mother.”
The Union Territory Administration, through Public Prosecutor Manish Bansal, assured the Court that adequate police protection would be provided to prevent any untoward incident during custody enforcement. The matter has been listed for further consideration on October 31, 2025.
Case Title: Baljeet Kaur Vs Vimal Parkash
Case No: COCP-5131-2024 (O&M)
Coram: Justice Alka Sarin
Advocate for Petitioner: Adv. Simi Kandra
Advocate for Respondent: Adv. Parvinder Singh, PP Manish Bansal
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