Prayagraj, May 13 -- The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday observed that medical prescriptions related to treatment for stomach pain cannot be used to label a woman as an alcoholic or mentally unstable.

The court said such allegations cannot be grounds to deprive a mother of the custody of her child.

Justice Sandeep Jain observed while directing that the custody of the minor child be handed over to the mother. The court noted that under the law, the natural guardian of a child up to five years of age is ordinarily the mother, who is better equipped to meet the child's emotional, nutritional and developmental needs during the early years.

The case pertained to a petition filed by the mother alleging that the father had forcibly separate...