Court allows French consular's mother to meet grandkids

The Karnataka High Court has permitted French consular Pascal Mazurier's mother Jacqueline Maille to meet her two grandchildren Friday at the mediation centre of the family court here.

Upholding the family court's July 20, 2013 order, a division bench of Justice K.L. Manjunath and Justice Ravi Mallimath directed Mazurier's estranged wife Suja Jones to allow her children to meet Maille, 63, for an hour at the mediation centre.

The two sons - aged nine and three - are in their mother's custody here.

"We direct the respondent (Jones) and her counsel who are present before the court to keep the children Friday before the mediation centre and the director or deputy director of the mediation centre would be present at the time of the complainant's mother visiting," said the court order issued Jan 27 but released Thursday.

Mazurier, 40, who is on bail in a criminal case for allegedly sexually assaulting his minor daughter, filed a contempt petition in the high court Nov 11 against his wife for not complying with the family court order.

"It is made clear that the complainant and his counsel so also the respondent and her counsel shall also be present to avoid unpleasantness," the bench said in the order.

As an accused in such a criminal case is not permitted by law to meet his kin, Maille came to Bangalore from France last year to meet her grandchildren.

Welcoming the ruling, Children's Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (Crisp), a non-government organisation, said it was a great relief to Muzurier and his mother, who have been eager to meet the two sons over several months.

"As an NGO working for the children's rights, we have been giving legal counselling to Mazurier and his mother as per the Indian laws and the system. We hope the visitation will be smooth to promote the children's welfare from both sides," Crisp president Kumar Jahgirdar told IANS.

Mazurier was arrested June 19, 2012, after police registered a case against him June 15, 2012, under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code on a complaint by Jones, who accused him of abusing their four-year-old child and alleging domestic violence against her.

The high court, however, granted him bail Oct 12, 2012, while the criminal case was pending in the sessions court for trial.

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