Pune: In a significant ruling, the Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Court in Pune has issued an order prohibiting a husband and his family from engaging in any form of communication—verbal, written, or electronic—with the wife, as well as from causing any hindrance to her stay in the house.
The court has also approved interim maintenance of ₹10,000 per month for the nine-months-pregnant wife. The verdict was delivered by Judicial Magistrate (First Class) A.S. Shinde.
The case arose when the husband attempted to evict his wife, who was then seven months pregnant, from their home. The mother-in-law had initially filed a claim seeking to evict the daughter-in-law, which led the wife to file a domestic violence case against her husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law. The court issued its ruling within two months, providing substantial relief to the wife.
Details of the case reveal that the couple, Rajesh and Ranjana (names changed), were married on February 18, 2018, and have a daughter. At the time of filing the case, Ranjana was seven months pregnant.
She alleged through her lawyer, Prasad Nikam, that she had endured physical and mental abuse from Rajesh and his family for the past six years. Lawyers Mansoor Tamboli and Shubham Bobade assisted Nikam in the case.
The petition claimed that the applicant faced mental, physical, and financial abuse. Despite her pregnancy, the husband failed to provide any care and demanded jewelry and other household items from her.
This mental distress led to multiple miscarriages. Additionally, the husband had an alcohol addiction and tried to evict her from their jointly owned home while she was seven months pregnant. The court was convinced that the husband had sufficient means to provide maintenance for his wife and daughter.
Key directives mentioned in the order include:
The husband must pay ₹10,000 per month to the wife as interim maintenance from the date of the application until further orders.
The husband and his family must refrain from any form of communication with Ranjana.
They must not obstruct her stay in the house.
The share of the house belonging to the wife must not be disposed of without her consent.