'Husband Crorepati': Court Raises Domestic Violence Victim's Compensation To Rs 1 Crore

News18

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A Delhi court increased compensation for a domestic violence victim, noting her wealthy husband's abuse. The monthly allowance was raised to Rs 1.5 lakh from the initial Rs 1 lakh.
A sessions court in Delhi hiked the compensation to a domestic violence victim, noting that her husband was 'rolling in money".
The court made the order after observing that the woman's husband, who runs an elevator company, and his family are 'crorepatis".
Additionally, the court also enhanced the monthly allowance granted to the woman and her daughter to Rs 1.5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh, ruling that the 'physical and mental torture" faced by the woman while living with her husband can 'scarcely be imagined".
In her last month ruling, Additional Sessions Judge (Dindoshi Court) S J Ansari ordered that the initial compensation of Rs 5 lakh awarded by a magistrate was 'meagre" considering that the woman endured 'torture and humiliation" for 20 years.
The 41-year-old housewife had challenged a February 2020 compensation order passed by the magistrate under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.
She had alleged her husband and in-laws had inflicted physical, emotional, and economic assault on her since her marriage in December 1997.
The Delhi court observed that the wife had no other option than seeking legal assistance for maintenance after suffering 'beatings, severe assaults, taunts and even financial deprivation" for almost 20 years.
The 'physical and mental torture" tolerated by the woman while living with her husband can 'scarcely be imagined", the court observed.
The judge also noted that the magistrate had granted Rs 5 lakh to the complainant. According to the order, while the aggrieved housewife termed the amount too little, the man contended that she was not entitled to any money as compensation.
The man had claimed that he was at the receiving end of his wife's 'behaviour" and his financial situation had now become 'precarious". The husband said he took care of the rent for the premises occupied by him and their twin sons, and he looked after their educational and living expenses, which leaves him with nothing.
However, the court noted that the victim was subjected to domestic violence by her husband.
It observed that in 2012, the husband and his father were financially sound enough to buy a land as well as a flat worth over Rs 1 crore.
The court held that the man could not prove his financial status was weak despite giving many excuses.
'On the other hand, he being in a position to purchase properties worth Rs 1 crore in 2012, and presently running an elevator company, will surely be rolling in money," the court observed.
The court further said the man and his family are 'crorepatis". Holding that he being 'extremely rich", the Rs 5 lakh compensation awarded to the complainant by the magistrate 'is too meagre an amount".
'The same requires a very substantial enhancement so as to actually compensate the complainant for the 20 years of torture, humiliation, economic abuse, taunts, etc., undergone by her at the hands of the respondent no. 1," the court further observed.
The court noted the complainant has to now also suffer being estranged from her two sons. The man appears to have influenced the sons against their mother 'is also something which cannot be ignored", the judge noted.
After taking in view all aspects, the court hiked the compensation as well as the monthly allowance granted to the woman and her daughter.
First Published:
June 06, 2025, 19:04 IST