In an order concerning a marital dispute, the Gujarat High Court has suspended the visit rights of a man to meet his 16-year-old son on the grounds that this could hamper studies of the boy— a Class XI student.

The boy has been identified as Meet Parikh, son of Sanjay and Zalak.

The counsel of Meet, Chinmay Gandhi, said Sanjay and Zalak had marital dispute following which they got divorce from the Family Court in Ahmedabad. After the custody of the boy was given to his mother, Sanjay moved the Family Court, which allowed him to meet his son twice a month.

“Meet is a student of Class XI and his father’s visits were causing disturbance to his studies. So, he moved the petition in the High Court through his mother

to suspend the visitation rights of his father,” Gandhi said.

After hearing Meet and his parents, Justice R R Tripathi suspended Sanjay’s right to visit his son for two years till the boy completes two “crucial” years of his career.

Giving his order, Justice Tripathi observed that the boy never felt comfortable in the presence of Sanjay. “…and taking into consideration the fact that he is studying in Class XI (Science), after having scored 82 per cent in standard Xth, and these two years will be crucial for his career, the court is of the opinion that no disturbance be caused to his studies and he be allowed to concentrate only on studies,” Justice Tripathi said.

The court, however, kept it open for the boy to meet his father “if he, of his own, wants to see the respondent (his father)”.