Karnataka High Court Closes Contempt Case Against Doctor Mother Who Failed To Comply With Custody Order, Directs Her To Do Community Service

The Karnataka High Court recently dropped the contempt proceedings initiated against a doctor after she tendered her unconditional apology and offered to engage herself a day of every calendar month in Community Services for six months in any Government Hospital of Bengaluru City.

A division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit accepted the statement made by the woman and said “We accept the unconditional apology tendered by the Respondent /Accused treating her assurance as an undertaking given to this Court. We further make it clear that as per the said assurance/undertaking, if the Respondent/Accused approaches any of the Government Hospitals, they will permit her to render community services one full day in a month, for a period of six months from today.”

The court had initiated the suo-motu contempt proceedings in August, after the doctor failed to comply with court orders directing her to hand over the custody of the minor daughter to her husband. Court had earlier directed the employer to hold back her pay till custody of the daughter is handed over.

The court had issued notice to the woman on August 14 in response to which the woman filed an affidavit stating that she is tendering her unconditional apology and assuring that in future she would act in such a way that there would be no occasion for initiation of any action against her.

Accepting the same the court dropped the proceedings saying “Accordingly, this complaint of contempt is disposed off.”

Appearance: Special Public Prosecutor Vijayakumar Majage for Complainant.

Advocate Kiran Sebastian Rozario for Respondent.

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (Kar) 378

Case Title: High Court of Karnataka And Dr Ekta Singh

Case No: 08-09-2023

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