One of India’s most sort after sports personality, Leander Paes, has once again stepped in court but this time to fight a legal battle against his partner Rhea Pillai seeking the custody of his daughter Aiyana.

Leander Paes has filed a twenty seven page petition in the Family Court in Bandra, at 03:15 pm on Saturday, May 03, 2014, seeking the custody of his daughter Aiyana, claiming he is concerned for her safety, welfare and wellbeing. Leander Paes has also sought an order restraining his long-time partner Rhea Pillai from taking their daughter out of Mumbai without the court’s permission.

When contacted, Leander Paes confirmed the news but refused to comment further. While Rhea Pillai, too, refused to comment on the case, her lawyer, Mrunalini Deshmukh said it would be improper to comment on the case till her client received a notice and that Rhea Pillai would definitely fight for the custody of her child.

In his petition, submitted through the legal firm Mridula Kadam Associates, Leander Paes has mentioned that that he and partner Rhea Pillai are not married since she did not believe in the institution of marriage.

Leander Paes first met Rhea Pillai, an instructor in the Art Of Living Foundation, in November 2003 on a flight to Goa, where she invited his over to make a guest appearance at an Art Of Living show in Mumbai.

Leander graciously accepted the invitation and made a guest appearance at the show following which gradually, with the constant interaction between them, and only after being informed that the respondent was separated from her then husband Sanjay Dutt, their relationship became more intimate.

Leander Paes in his petition has stated that Rhea insisted that she wanted to have a child with him and was so stubborn in this demand that she even had the audacity of once telling his father at a luncheon that she wanted a child from his son outside wedlock.

Leander Paes is very clear that he needs permanent custody of his daughter and has also requested the court to restrain Rhea Pillai from taking the minor child Aiyana out of the city of Mumbai without prior permission. 

Rhea who preferred to keep mum is all set to fight for Aiyana’s custody and will not let go so easily.

Well in all of this our heart goes out to Aiyana and we do hope and wish her happiness.