No support to wives amounts to violence

MUMBAI: City magistrates have ensured that wives and children deserted by their husbands get immediate justice. They have held that husbands, even estranged ones, are legally responsible to provide for their wives and children a comfortable living.

Depriving one’s wife of a home, belongings and money to live is judged as ‘violence’ under the Domestic Violence Act 2005.

Metropolitan magistrates have used the Act to provide a home to a deserted wife and her children. Additional Sessions Judge Chitra K Bhedi, on Tuesday, confirmed this order of the 48th Metropolitan Magistrate Andheri in a revision application.

Amit Shah was ordered to pay his wife Sonal an ad hoc sum of Rs75,000 to enable her to maintain herself and two minor sons, aged nine and seven, until the final hearing of her complaint against him. Judge Bhedi gave Amit seven days to make the payment.

Irani, Amit’s lawyer, protested that Amit had no intention of depriving Sonal of her Streedhan due.