Domestic abuse: Victim or vixen?

Xavier Kallupurakal, 56, is at his wit’s end. Yesterday, for the third time in the last six months, he somehow managed to get out on bail. And the source of his misery — a beautiful woman who is almost half his age and insists that she is married to him.

At first glance, such a circumstance is likely to evoke envy rather than sympathy in the hearts of most middle-aged men. But Kallupurakal is in despair. “It won’t be long before she files another complaint with the Malad (West) police claiming domestic abuse” he says.

According to the Malad-based businessman, his tormentor, Leena Gurav, 30, who has been filing the domestic violence cases against him, is not even his wife. He claims that he had appointed her as his secretary and the governess of his three children (he separated from his wife ten years ago) in 2006.

Kallupurakal’s lawyer, VK Sinha, has produced various documents, including Gurav’s application letter for the post of secretary-cum-governess, Kallupurakal’s letter confirming her appointment, and his letter (dated June 26, 2006) to the senior police inspector of Malad (West) police station intimating them about her appointment in his house.

On the other hand, Gurav, who lives in Kallupurakal’s Malad house, claims that she has been his wife all along. She cites the fact that she had filed domestic violence complaints against him at the Malad police station in September and November 2008.

“I got married to Kallupurakal on June 27, 2006 [interestingly, this is the day after the date of her appointment at his residence] at the old Kalina church. Unfortunately, there were no photographs of the marriage ceremony. Father Xavier, a priest at the Kalina church, and Dr D Tiwari, Kallupurakal’s family physician, were the only other people present on the occasion. Dr Tiwari always considered me as his own daughter,” says Gurav.

Dr Tiwari, when contacted by DNA, denied his involvement. “I was witness to no such wedding. I have known Kallupurakal for a long time and he is a good man. The only wedding I was witness to was my own,” he said.

Sinha says that Gurav has criminal antecedents and is trying to entrap Kallupurakal. Contd, p3

 “We have repeatedly brought to the notice of the police the criminal cases pending against Gurav.

0For instance, the Mulund police has registered a case of attempt to murder against Gurav and her two sisters and parents. They had attempted to shoot the assistant police commissioner (ACP) of the region. This ACP had gone to their house to arrest them for assaulting their neighbours,” he says.

Ironically, this case has been pending in the same sessions court where Kallupurakal’s bail hearing took place.

For her part, Gurav does not deny this case or other cases. “Yes, the Mulund police had registered cases against me and my family under 18 different sections. In fact, it was during this time that I met Kallupurakal for the first time. I was then seeking anticipatory bail and he was also involved in some court cases,” she says.

If she really was Kallupurakal’s wife, why doesn’t she move the family court seeking the seeking the enforcement of her marital rights? “That would entail a lot of legal expenses which I cannot afford,” answers Gurav. Her sister, incidentally, is a practicing lawyer.

 “All I want,” says Gurav, “is for my husband to buy me a house and make a fixed deposit in the name of my daughter from him. Kallupurakal, however, vehemently denies that he is the father of Gurav’s one-and-a-half year old daughter.

Senior police inspector of Malad police station, Maruti Telang, said, “The woman has been staying with the accused for the last few years and is his wife.” But didn’t he ask for proof of their marriage before registering cases of domestic violence? “We have registered cases according to the complaints we received. She lives with him and has a child by him. We have no reason to disbelieve her. The only assistance we have given her is to escort her to her residence.”

As for Kallupurakal, there seems to be no end in sight for his periodic visits to Malad police station. In fact, way back in August 2008, anticipating false complaints from Gurav, he had surrendered his licensed gun and revolver to his gun dealer. But that did not stop Gurav from lodging a case against him the very next month, alleging that he had threatened to kill her with his revolver.

With both sides sticking to their side of the story, even the judge at the Sessions court, who was hearing the bail application for the third time, was weary of the case. “How does one solve this issue?” he wondered aloud, as he granted Kallupurakal’s bail application on Saturday.