End battle over Kumble step daughter: SC

A bench headed by Justice Tarun Chatterjee directed the girl’s parents to sit together and end the issue. “We have sympathy with the girl, but the father has a right in the changing circumstances,’’ the bench observed when Chethna Kumble’s advocate said the matter had been decided by the SC.

Advocate Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for Chethna, said the girl was going through a traumatic experience due to repeated custody issues before courts.

The Supreme Court had earlier transferred the girl’s custody to Chethna, who is now married to cricketer Anil Kumble. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for Kumar Jahagirdar, the ex-husband of Chethna, submitted that in the changing circumstances the father was in favour of the dual custody of the 13-year-old girl. “Jahagirdar is married and has a family to look after the girl, if dual custody is granted,’’ he said.

The apex court, in a ruling on Jan 31, 2004, had given custody of the girl to Chethna. Jahagirdar was  given visitation rights.

Mallya case

The Supreme Court also admitted a petition to decide whether liquor baron Vijay Mallya had committed any offence by not responding to the summons of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case pertaining to the payment in foreign exchange to sponsor a car race in Europe 14 years ago. A bench headed by Justice H S Bedi said the case would be decided after hearing arguments from both parties.

Mallya had expressed “regret” in December 2007 before the SC for not responding to the ED summons.

Mallya had been acquitted by the court in the RBI rules violation case.