Bombay High Court Confirms ₹3 Crore Compensation to Wife Under Domestic Violence Act
The Bombay High Court has upheld a trial court order directing a husband to pay ₹3 crore as compensation and ₹1.5 lakh per month as maintenance to his wife under the Domestic Violence Act.
Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, presiding over the single-judge bench, dismissed the husband’s revision plea against the Sessions Court’s decision, which had earlier upheld the trial court’s ruling.
The couple married in January 1994 in Mumbai and later moved to the USA, where they held another marriage ceremony. In 2005, they returned to Mumbai and lived together in a jointly owned house. In 2008, the wife shifted to her mother’s home, and in 2014, the husband went back to the USA.
In 2017, the husband filed for divorce in the USA, while the wife lodged a complaint under the Domestic Violence Act in Mumbai. The US court granted the divorce in 2018.
The wife alleged that on their honeymoon in Nepal in 1994, the husband insulted her by calling her “second-hand” due to a broken engagement in the past. She also accused him of repeatedly making false allegations of illicit relationships—first with her brothers while in the USA and later with a milkman and vegetable vendor in Mumbai. She further alleged physical and mental abuse, including an incident where the husband tried to suffocate her with a pillow.
She stated that the police in the USA had once arrested the husband over these allegations, though he was later released on bail.
The trial court ordered the husband to provide alternative accommodation, pay ₹75,000 per month as rent, ₹3 crore as compensation, and ₹1.5 lakh as monthly maintenance. The Sessions Court upheld this order, leading the husband to appeal to the High Court.
The High Court noted that both parties are highly educated and socially well-placed, which made the impact of domestic violence on the wife’s self-worth even more severe. The court clarified that this does not mean victims from other walks of life are less affected, but in this case, the social standing and circumstances intensified the harm.
While dismissing the husband’s challenge, the court reaffirmed the ₹3 crore compensation, recognising the long-term damage to the wife’s dignity and self-esteem caused by domestic violence.
Be a part our social media community:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndianMan.in?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/indianman.in?igsh=MWZ2N3N0ZmpwM3l3cw==
