India, April 28 -- In a bitter custody battle, the Bombay High Court recently dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by the father of a five-year-old child but refused to impose costs on the man, as urged by his estranged wife, saying it was mindful of a father's emotions.

"We are conscious of human emotions, the petitioner being the father of the minor child has chosen to approach this court for expeditious access. We do not find any fault in the conduct of the petitioner," justices Sarang Kotwal and Sandesh Patil observed in their judgment dated April 24.

The man's estranged wife, in whose custody their child currently is, had urged the court to levy "heavy costs" on the man for filing the habeas corpus petition even while their cus...