The court directed Munde to pay Rs 1.25 lakh per month to Karuna Munde and Rs 75,000 per month to their daughter until the case reaches a final decision. Additionally, he was ordered to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for the application cost.
Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Dhananjay Munde, has approached the Mumbai Sessions Court to challenge an interim order issued by the Bandra Magistrate Court. The order directed him to pay maintenance to Karuna Munde, a woman who claims to be his first wife.
During the hearing on Friday, Karuna Munde’s lawyer requested additional time to submit a reply opposing Dhananjay Munde’s appeal.
The lawyer assured the court that the interim maintenance order, passed on February 4, 2025, “would not be executed until the next hearing date.”
Following this, Sessions Court Judge Shaikh Akbar Shaikh Jafar adjourned the matter to March 21.
The Bandra Magistrate Court had earlier granted interim protection and financial support to Karuna Munde. She accused Dhananjay Munde of domestic violence, emotional abuse, and neglect.
The court directed Munde to pay Rs 1.25 lakh per month to Karuna Munde and Rs 75,000 per month to their daughter until the case reaches a final decision. Additionally, he was ordered to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for the application cost.
Karuna Munde alleged that Dhananjay Munde married another woman under family pressure but had assured her that she was his first wife. She claimed that since 2018, both she and her children had been neglected. Further, she accused him of denying her marital rights, restricting her visits to his native village, and using his followers to intimidate her.
In a serious allegation, she claimed that in 2020, when she attempted to visit his village, she was “sexually assaulted by Munde’s associates.”
Dhananjay Munde has completely denied all allegations, stating that he never married Karuna Munde and does not share a domestic relationship with her. He also argued that she is financially independent, involved in business and politics.
He further pointed out that the Bombay High Court had previously restrained her from making public statements against him.
Despite his claims, the Bandra Magistrate Court found prima facie evidence supporting Karuna Munde’s statements. The court noted that official records, including an affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, acknowledged Karuna Munde as Munde’s wife.
Recognizing her emotional suffering and financial requirements, the court ruled in her favor. It granted her interim maintenance and prohibited Dhananjay Munde from engaging in any form of domestic violence against her.
