HC asks Nawazuddin’s wife to give update on their kids

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) has asked Zainab (Aaliya Siddiqui), the estranged wife of actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui to give an update on the location of his two minor children and the status of their education. Siddiqui approached the HC after he received an email from the children’s school in the UAE stating that his kids were missing classes and were on the verge of rustication. The actor filed a habeas corpus petition seeking to know the whereabouts of his children.

On Friday, Aaliya accused Nawazuddin of rape and physical assault. She said she has proof against her husband. She shared a video on social media in which she also alleged that the actor was using his money and influence to snatch her children away from her.

When Aaliya informed the bench that the children were with her in India and did not wish to pursue education in UAE, the HC directed the wife to give an update on the location and posted the hearing of the actors’ petition to next week.

Senior inspector of Versova police station Siraj Inaamdar said that no new FIR has been filed against Siddiqui. Another source said that though the written complaints alleging rape and physical assault had been submitted in the police station on Thursday, the cops are taking their time in registering a formal complaint.

The division bench of justice A S Gadkari and justice P D Naik which was hearing the actor’s petition seeking information about his 12-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son was informed by advocate Pradeep Thorat that his client’s estranged wife and children were residents of UAE and referred to the email sent by the school. Thorat stated that though Siddiqui’s estranged wife had come to India in November 2022 she had not brought the children along and some third person had taken them out of Dubai. Thorat submitted that the actor wanted to know the whereabouts of his children and to ensure that they join the school. The bench was informed that the actor had separated from his wife in 2011 based on a Khulanama and she had custody of the children and they were living in Dubai for the last four to five years. Thorat further submitted that there were no other pending proceedings between the couple except for the petition filed by the wife seeking the quashing of the complaint registered by the actor’s mother.

Mehrunisa Siddiqui, the actor’s mother, had filed an FIR with Versova police station last month against her former daughter-in-law alleging that Zainab had an argument with her. Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee for the estranged wife however informed the bench that the children were with their biological mother in India and did not wish to go back to Dubai. He submitted that the mother was looking for online education options but if the school did not permit it, the children would be enrolled in an institution in India.

HT ARCHIVES Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife Aaliya alleged that the actor was using his money and influence to snatch her children.