The Supreme Court on Monday expressed concern over the disappearance of a Russian woman Victoria Basu along with her five-year-old son amid an ongoing custody dispute with her Indian husband, Saikat Basu.
The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, during the hearing of the case, questioned lack of surveillance, asking, ‘There are no CCTV cameras?’
Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the Court that, based on her email IP address, the woman appears to have exited India through the Bihar-Nepal route before flying to the UAE and ultimately to Russia.
The Court observed that such an escape could not have happened without help and directed the authorities to file a comprehensive status report within one week.
‘This Was a Thought-Out Plan’– Saikat Basu Speaks Out
In an exclusive conversation with iTV Network, Saikat Basu alleged that his wife’s disappearance with their son was part of a ‘well-planned escape’ months in the making.
He said: ‘She managed to make a Russian passport for our son, who already had an Indian passport without my knowledge or consent.’
Hr called it a violation of Indian constitutional norms. The Supreme Court has since ordered the surrender of the Russian passport, he said.
Basu also urged the Russian Embassy to share CCTV footage and relevant details with Delhi Police.
He expressed satisfaction with the Delhi Police’s response but acknowledged that tracking embassy surroundings and cross-border movements would take time.
Basu said: ‘She kept changing her appearance including hair colour, sometimes brown, sometimes other colors. This was clearly not impulsive; it had been planned for months.’
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