JUDGMENT :

V. SRINIVAS, J.

1. This Civil Miscellaneous Appeal is directed against the Order and decree dated 01.08.2022 passed by the IV Additional District Court, Kakinada in Guardian O.P.No. 61 of 2019.

2. The appellant herein is the husband/respondent. For the sake of convenience, the parties herein are referred to as they are arrayed before the trial Court.

3. The respondent herein/wife filed a petition under Section 7 and 25 of Guardian and Wards Act and Section 6 of Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, before the trial court against her husband/appellant herein, seeking custody of their minor child by name Akshaya.

4. The case of the respondent/wife herein in brief is as follows:

(i) The marriage between the appellant and respondent took place as per Hindu rites and customs on 8-10-2009 in Hotel Iswarya Grand, Kakinada Immediately after their marriage, they started living at USA. The appellant started harassing her for additional dowry of Rs.1 crore and used to ill-treat her by beating, slapping, and abusing indiscriminately at the instance of his parents and forced her to resign her job and withdraw her working visa, on which the visa was converted to a ‘dependent’ visa. During he