Pune: The court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) in Pune has sentenced a husband to one month in jail for failing to pay ₹7.95 lakh in pending alimony. The ruling was issued by JMFC S.R. Badwe after the court found him guilty of contempt of court for not complying with an alimony order issued in July 2023.
The case dates back to March 9, 2021, when the wife filed a petition regarding domestic violence. Due to the husband’s absence in court proceedings, the court issued an ex parte ruling on July 23, 2023, directing him to:
Pay ₹15,000 per month to his wife as maintenance
Provide ₹5,000 per month for their child’s expenses
Pay ₹5,000 per month towards house rent
Settle ₹40,000 as compensation
Cover ₹5,000 in legal expenses
This brought the total monthly obligation to ₹25,000. However, despite the court’s ruling, the husband failed to make any payments, leading to accumulated arrears of ₹7.95 lakh.
Due to non-payment, the wife filed an execution petition under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PW-DV Act) on August 22, 2023. On January 9, 2024, her legal team submitted a petition under Section 125(3) of the CrPC, requesting the court to imprison the husband.
During the hearing, the wife’s lawyers argued that:
The husband deliberately avoided legal responsibility, misusing judicial procedures.
The husband has a fundamental duty to provide for his wife and child.
His failure to comply should lead to immediate legal action.
After reviewing the case, the court ordered the husband’s imprisonment for one month. He was taken into custody and transferred to Yerawada Jail for failing to fulfill his financial obligations.
