A woman approached the Delhi High Court alleging that her husband and in-laws created a ruckus, filing a contempt petition against them. However, the Court found that she had violated Family Court orders herself and had instigated the incident. As a result, the Court dismissed her plea and imposed a Rs.50,000 fine on her.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court imposed a fine of Rs.50,000 on a woman who filed a petition against her estranged husband and his parents, claiming they disrupted child visitation.
The Court determined that it was the woman who instigated her husband, provoking his reaction. Justices Navin Chawla and Renu Bhatnagar observed that the woman had recorded a video of the incident during the visitation period.
After reviewing the footage, the Court concluded that she had actually violated the family court’s orders and incited her husband.
The Court stated,
“On watching the video, it is our considered opinion that in fact, it was the petitioner and persons along with her who were instigating the respondent no. 1 into reacting in the way he did,”
The woman had approached the court asserting that her husband and his parents were in contempt of court by causing a disturbance during the visitation, contrary to family court orders.
She claimed in her petition,
“When the respondent reached the venue of visitation, he intentionally disturbed the petitioner, her family members, her employers with the sole aim of shattering her confidence, curb her source of living by trying to get her fired from work and reduce her existence to mere grovelling,”
The Court noted from the video that the husband’s family attempted to calm the situation while the petitioner ridiculed them.
The Court observed,
“We further notice that in the video, the respondent no. 2 even tried to request the persons accompanying the petitioner not to mock the respondent no. 1 and to allow the visitation to take place peacefully. However, this request, as is apparent from the video, was again mocked at,”
Consequently, the Court dismissed the contempt petition and imposed costs.
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The Court ordered,
“We further direct the petitioner to pay a cost of Rs.50,000 out of which Rs.25,000 shall be paid to the respondent no. 1 while the remaining Rs.25,000 shall be deposited with the Delhi High Court Advocates Welfare Fund, within a period of four weeks from today,”
Advocate Shambhavi represented the woman, while Advocates Shreya Singhal, M Keditsu, and Kushagra Singla appeared for the husband and his parents.
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