Filmmaker files Habeas Corpus petition before Bombay High Court alleging Pakistani wife has detained his children in Lahore

A Hindi filmmaker has approached the Bombay High Court seeking directions to the Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate the safe return of his children who he alleged are illegally detained in Lahore by his Pakistani wife and her parents..A bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and NR Borkar issued notice to the Ministry today and posted the matter for hearing on August 29. .According to the filmmaker, his wife a Pakistani citizen, and children had gone to Lahore in Pakistan on November 26, 2020 with the children holding a valid 'visiting visa' till October 13, 2021. The petitioner's wife stayed back in Lahore citing ill health of her father.Thereafter in February 2021, the wife allegedly filed a guardianship petition in a Lahore court which came to be granted and she was appointed as the lawful guardian of the children. Thereafter, the petitioner said, due to alleged brainwashing by the wife's family or coercion, the wife and children were induced to continue their stay in Lahore.The petitioner pointed out that out of the two children, passport of one child has expired and the other child's passport is due to expire in October this year.Senior Advocate BM Chatterji, appearing for the petitioner, informed the Court that the petitioner had written multiple letters to the Ministry of External Affairs to get information.However, since there was no response on the same, the filmmaker was constrained to approach the High Court..The petition sought a writ of habeas corpus against the Ministry of External Affairs as well as the Pakistan High Commission in India to ensure that the kids are produced in Court. The petitioner also prayed that in the event the wife seemed to be coerced to continue her stay in Lahore, she also be safely brought back to India. "Their illegal retention in Pakistan is not only in gross derogation of immigration of both countries but is also predominantly contrary to the best interest of their general well-being, upbringing and primary education," the plea stated.When called upon, his wife allegedly refused to come back and also did not provide any plausible reason for deserting the petitioner and unlawfully detaining the minor children in Pakistan."Her inexplicable conduct is perhaps at the behest of some unidentified person with oblique motives who may have coerced or brainwashed her against him and is holding her along with the children as hostages in Lahore,” the petition stated..The petitioner added that the wife and her family had also purportedly changed her address and it seemed that they are living in a rental place.