Supreme Court Quashes Pune Court's Domestic Violence Order Amid Divorce Plea

The Supreme Court overturned a lower court's rejection of a husband's challenge to a domestic violence complaint by his wife, whose allegations were deemed vague. The high court found the complaint to be an abuse of legal proceedings, offering relief to the husband amid ongoing divorce discussions.

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court recently invalidated a lower court's dismissal of a husband's challenge against a domestic violence complaint raised by his wife. This decision came after the couple had previously sought a mutual divorce.

A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K. Vinod Chandran underscored that the domestic violence allegations were broad and unsubstantiated. The claims predating their mutual divorce plea were described as vague and generalised.

The couple, married in April 2018, had filed for a joint divorce in October 2019 due to marital discord. Despite this, the wife withdrew her petition three months later and subsequently claimed domestic violence under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

The husband's challenge to the complaint's validity was initially dismissed by a court in Jammu. However, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the husband, stating the wife's complaint was an abuse of the legal system. The case was represented by advocates Akshat Malpani, Vandana Gupta, and Rahul Gupta.