HC disposes of actress' plea to access daughter

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Saturday disposed of the petition filed by veteran actress Moushumi Chatterjee and her husband seeking access to their daughter and also her guardianship.

The daughter, Payal, has been in comatose condition for quite some time. The court suggested that the petitioners and their son-in-law should amicably sort out their dispute. Ms Chatterjee alleged that they were being denied access to her daughter but her son-in-law filed an affidavit in the court denying the allegations and said that the petitioners regularly visit Payal, and the petition is an outcome of a dispute.

When the matter came up for hearing before the division bench of Justice B.P. Dharmadhikari and S.V. Kotwal, the respondent so-n-in-law Dicky Sinha’s lawyers Rajendra and Bina Pai filed an affidavit before the court denying all the allegations levelled against him by the petitioners.

During the hearing, the bench observed that it was unfortunate that such matters had to land in the court. The bench said that both the parties were “educated people” and should resolve the family issue amicably.

The judges took on record the affidavit filed by Mr Sinha, which said that the petitioners would not be prevented from meeting their daughter.

Meanwhile, Mr Sinha’s lawyer also assured the court that copies of Payal’s medical condition would be provided to the petitioner’s lawyer by Monday evening. It was alleged by the petitioners that they were not aware of their daughter’s health condition because they have been denied access to her medical papers.