Deccan Herald ·
Supreme Court grants mother exclusive custody of special-needs child, allows to take stepfather’s name
The Supreme Court has granted a mother exclusive custody of her special-needs daughter, allowing the child to adopt her stepfather's surname and religion. The court quashed a POCSO case and ended civil contempt proceedings against the biological father, citing the child's well-being.
The court exercised its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, stressing that the order was confined to the special and peculiar facts of the case