Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Fatherhood Alone Does Not Entitle Parent to Child’s Custody
A father asked the court to give him custody of his young daughter.
The court did not agree to change who currently cares for her.
It said being a parent alone does not automatically mean someone gets custody.
A previous agreement between the parents also did not settle the custody question.
The parents’ disagreement about custody was still continuing.
The court said the child’s welfare must come first.
Because the child is very young, the father was allowed to visit her every two weeks.
The court therefore dismissed his custody request but granted visitation rights.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed a father’s plea seeking custody of his minor daughter.
The court said being the child’s father does not automatically establish a right to custody.
It also held that a prior compromise between the parents did not by itself require custody to be transferred.
Because the child is of tender age, the court said custody must be assessed according to her welfare and best interests.
The father was granted visitation rights every fortnight while existing custody remained unchanged.
- Who
- The Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Manish Batra, and the father seeking custody of his minor daughter.
- What
- The court dismissed the father’s habeas corpus plea for custody but granted him fortnightly visitation rights.
- When
- The article does not state when the ruling was issued; it refers to a compromise dated January 1, 2023.
- Where
- The Punjab and Haryana High Court.
- Why
- The court said custody must be decided based on the welfare and best interests of the young child, not merely on fatherhood or a prior compromise.
Father’s Custody Request
Child-Welfare-Based Custody Decision
Basis for custody
Father’s Custody Request
The father sought custody of his minor daughter and relied on his status as the child’s father and a prior compromise between the parents.
Child-Welfare-Based Custody Decision
The court held that fatherhood and the compromise did not automatically entitle him to custody while the dispute remained contested.
Immediate arrangement
Father’s Custody Request
The father requested that custody be transferred to him.
Child-Welfare-Based Custody Decision
The court kept the existing custody arrangement in place but allowed the father to visit the child every two weeks.
- Court
- Punjab and Haryana High Court
- Judge
- Justice Manish Batra
- Case type
- Habeas corpus plea seeking custody
- Child
- A minor daughter described as being of tender age
- Father’s access
- Fortnightly visitation rights
- Prior compromise
- Agreement dated January 1, 2023
- Custody outcome
- Existing custody was not disturbed