MUMBAI, April 30 -- The Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected the petition filed by a Maharashtrian doctor settled in the United Kingdom (UK), seeking an order compelling his estranged wife to send their 12-year-old son, who currently lives in Mumbai with his mother, to the UK, as previously ordered by an English court. The division bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal and Justice Sandesh Patil rejected the petition after noting that the boy might not see his mother for a very long time, a situation that would not be in the child's best interest. The couple married according to Hindu rites in 2008 and moved to the USA, where their son was born in 2014. In 2019, the husband got a job in the UK and the family moved there in July. Two years later, differences arose between the couple and the wife began living separately with their minor son. Alleging that his wife left the UK for India with their son in 2023 without informing him, the husband approached a local UK court seeking orders to compel his wife to bring their son back to England. However, the wife filed a divorce petition in the Bandra family court, requesting that her husband be restrained from taking their son. On November 17, 2023, the UK court ordered the wife to return the minor boy to the jurisdiction of England and Wales by December 6, 2023. Subsequently, the husband petitioned the Bombay high court for an order compelling his estranged wife to return the child to the UK. His counsel, advocate Avani Bansal, submitted that the boy was still admitted to a UK school, where he was eligible for healthcare services and full citizenship if he stays continuously for a year, as he already had a permanent residency. Advocate Wesley Menezes, speaking for the wife, pointed out that she was forced to leave the UK after her husband withdrew his consent, which enabled her to stay. Based on his complaint, the UK Home Office cancelled her visa and told her to leave the country by July 16, 2023. Menezes also said that though the husband wants his wife and son to return to the UK, he has not given any firm assurance about securing a valid visa for them. The court accepted the wife's arguments, noting that the husband's conduct created serious apprehensions in her mind. "The petitioner's conduct shows he is trying to close all options for Respondent No 2 (wife) and make her life extremely difficult. This is another reason why we are not inclined to allow this petition," the judges said, adding that there was a strong possibility that if the husband took their son to the UK, the son might not see his mother for a very long time. "That certainly would not be in his best interest," the judges said....