Keeping a child in the custody of the mother appears more natural and conducive to his welfare and development, the Bombay High Court said on Thursday, while refusing to direct a television actor to hand over the custody of her five-year-old son to her estranged husband.

A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and N J Jamadar was hearing a habeas corpus (produce the person) petition filed by the husband seeking a direction to the actor to hand over the custody of their son to him.