Dhananjay Munde’s plea against maintenance order dismissed: Victory of truth, says Karuna Munde

Maharashtra's Dhananjay Munde's appeal against maintenance payments to his alleged first wife was dismissed, affirming her claims and highlighting women's struggles.

MUMBAI: A sessions court on Saturday dismissed the appeal filed by Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) leader and former Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde against an interim order directing him to pay maintenance to a woman who claims to be his first wife.

Dhananjay Munde’s plea against maintenance order dismissed: Victory of truth, says Karuna Munde

Additional sessions judge Shaikh Akbar Shaikh Jafar upheld the Bandra magistrate court’s February 4 order, which had directed Munde to pay ₹1.25 lakh per month to the woman, Karuna Sharma (also referred to as Karuna Munde), and ₹75,000 per month to their daughter as interim maintenance under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence (DV) Act.

Munde had contested the magistrate’s order, arguing that it was “arbitrary” and passed without proper application of judicial mind. In his appeal, he claimed that he was never legally married to Sharma, and hence, the DV Act was not applicable in the case. He maintained that his only legal marriage was with Rajshri Munde, solemnised in 2001 under Hindu rites.

However, Sharma has asserted that she and Munde got married in January 1999, lived together in Indore, and later moved to Mumbai. She alleged that Munde refused to acknowledge their marriage publicly or introduce her to his family, and that she faced physical and emotional abuse during the relationship. In her application filed in 2022, Sharma had sought ₹5 lakh each per month for herself and her two children, Seeshiv and Shivani, and ₹25 crore as compensation.

While partially allowing her plea, Metropolitan Magistrate A B Jadhav had held that Munde’s denial of marriage and refusal of conjugal rights constitutes emotional abuse, entitling Sharma to interim maintenance under the DV Act.

Speaking to reporters after the court’s decision, Karuna Sharma described the outcome as a “victory of truth”. “This proves for the second time that I am Dhananjay Munde’s first wife. It’s a victory for women who speak the truth. Even powerful men can be held accountable,” she said. Sharma also highlighted the struggles of women in their 20s who, she said, often face emotional, financial and physical abuse in silence. “The system largely fails them. I stood up because I had truth on my side,” she added.

Munde’s counsel, Sayyali Sawant, confirmed that the appeal had been dismissed, noting that the detailed court order is awaited.

Sharma also alleged that in November 2020, she was attacked by supporters of the NCP leader when she attempted to visit his native village in Beed district.