Over a year and half after the Bombay High Court directed Pune Police to arrest a man, guilty of contempt of court as he failed to pay the maintenance amount to his wife and two sons as per orders, the direction was complied with on March 16 and he was sent to Arthur Road jail to undergo six-month simple imprisonment.
On October 11, 2019, the high court had held the man guilty of contempt of court orders and ordered his arrest and six-month simple imprisonment. However, as the said order was not implemented, the wife on March 12 moved an interim application before the high court, seeking compliance.
A division bench of Justice R D Dhanuka and Justice V G Bisht was recently hearing the wife’s plea, argued through advocate Siddheshwar N Biradar, seeking directions to the police for compliance of the earlier orders. Biradar informed the court that in May 2020, the Supreme Court upheld the high court’s order of arrest and thereafter, the wife had written to the police in January 2021. However, as they failed to arrest the husband, she had no option but to approach the high court again.
In 2018, the wife had approached the court, seeking maintenance for herself, her two minor sons and rent for the house the three lived in. The court, in July 2018, had directed the husband to pay Rs 15,000 per month to the wife, Rs 10,000 per month to each son, along with Rs 8,000 per month towards the house rent.
The wife had claimed that the man owned nearly four fitness clubs across Pune. However, in 2019, the court was convinced that the man intentionally failed to pay the amount as directed and therefore, had passed an arrest order.
The bench noted, “The judgment delivered by this court on October 11, 2019, thereby directing respondent (husband) be sentenced to undergo simple imprisonment in civil prison for six months and be taken into custody and be sent to Arthur Road prison has attained finality.”
The court asked the Dighi Police, Pune, to arrest the husband within a week and submit a compliance report on March 22. The police submitted the compliance report, stating that the man was arrested on March 16 and was sent to the jail.
