Pay for gas connection in wife’s matrimonial home, Bombay HC tells man

The woman told HC that the cooking gas connection was under the name of her mother-in-law, who refused to share its consumer number

The Bombay high court (HC) has directed a man, who is in the process of settling a domestic violence case with his wife, to provide her with a new cooking gas connection in her matrimonial home because her mother-in-law refused to share the consumer number of the gas connection.

The HC was hearing a plea filed by the man against the order of a lower court. (Representational photo)

The HC also directed him to bear all expenses of the new connection, regulator and gas stove, in addition to maintenance costs.

The HC was hearing a plea filed by the man against the order of a lower court on Tuesday. The husband had submitted that this situation was an “artificial inconvenience created by the wife” at a time when the Supreme Court had appointed a mediator to resolve the domestic violence dispute between them.

In March, his wife had filed a criminal appeal in the lower court, claiming that he had removed their washing machine and refrigerator and restricted her access to the water filter and gas connection. She had submitted that this caused an inconvenience to her five-year-old child.

On April 11, the lower court ordered the husband to restore these amenities within 24 hours. During the HC hearing of the plea challenging this order, the wife said she was still living without these amenities. She submitted that while there was a gas connection and a stove, it was under the name of her mother-in-law, who refused to share its consumer number. As a result, she had to use the neighbour’s connection to cook.

After hearing the submissions and perusing the lower court order, the bench of justice Mridula Bhatkar said the wife may apply for a new gas connection in her name and its costs should be borne by the husband.