Pune family courts summons hubby in London via whatsApp
In Pune, a 30-year-old woman from Bavdhan filed a restitution of conjugal rights case in the family court. The victim married in 2015 to a resident of Vadgaon Budruk, who currently resides and works in London, UK.
The Pune family court has allowed the serving of a summons via WhatsApp following no response from the said party, based in London, to the traditional methods of summons.
The Bombay and Delhi high courts, recently, have allowed use of email and WhatsApp for the serving of summons.
In Pune, a 30-year-old woman from Bavdhan filed a restitution of conjugal rights case in the family court. The victim married in 2015 to a resident of Vadgaon Budruk, who currently resides and works in London, UK.
As her husband has not responded to repeated calls and messages, the summons could not be served.
The woman’s lawyer Sudhir Reddy from the Reddy & Reddy law firm filed an application to serve the summons via WhatsApp. “The court of judge GG Bhalchandra allowed the application on November 22 and cleared the serving of summons via WhatsApp.
According to the woman’s complaint filed with the police, “After few days of marriage my husband and in-laws started harassing me for dowry, other gifts and also for not spending enough money on the marriage. I kept quiet to save my marriage. Later, we started living in London, where too my in-laws and husband harassed me mentally and physically, abused me and also demanded Rs 10 lakh to buy a car. My husband even threatened to tear my UK visa and passport if I did not fulfil his demands”,
The woman further claimed that she was forced to return to India in August 2016.
After coming to India, she started living with her parents and filed a case of harassment with the police and also for offences under the Protection of women domestic violence act against her in-laws and husband. She filed a petition for restitution of conjugal rights in December 2017.
“My husband knows that I am not working and even then he got my debit card blocked. He was not answering my calls. I decided to meet him and settle the dispute. In January this year when I went to London, I was asked to go back to India by the immigration officials as my husband had stated that he is not in a relationship with me,” she alleged.