India, Dec. 19 -- The Bombay high court on Thursday dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by Jyotirmayasinhji Upendrasinhji Jadeja (43), a member of the erstwhile royal family of Gondal State in Gujarat, seeking custody of his six-year-old son. The child is currently living in Germany with Jadeja's estranged wife, Damini Kumari (46), a German national.

Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Gautam Akhand held that pursuant to orders passed by the local German court, the woman had lawful custody of the child and therefore Jadeja's petition was not maintainable.

The couple's son was born in May 2019. On January 29, 2020, Damini Kumari travelled to Germany with the child to meet her family. Restrictions imposed on account of the Covid-19 lockdown ...