In a unique legal proceeding, a woman from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, implicated her brother-in-law Vishal and his wife, who reside hundreds of kilometers away in Pune, in a domestic violence case. The court, however, has issued directives to remove their names from the case, citing the geographical and factual improbabilities associated with the allegations.
The case emerged when Jagriti Tiwari, a staff nurse at SIMS and the second wife of Vikas Chaurasia, filed a complaint against Vishal and his wife along with her husband. According to Jagriti, the couple, despite living in Pune, were somehow involved in her domestic ordeal in Bilaspur. Jagriti, who had previously divorced and settled alimony with her former husband, alleged continuous domestic discord with Vikas, leading to her filing the complaint.
Upon receiving the court notice, Vishal promptly challenged the allegations in court, stating that their visits to Bilaspur were rare and strictly for family matters, including the recent demise of their mother. Vishal argued that the domestic violence allegations were baseless given their infrequent interactions and physical distance from the complainant.
The High Court of Chhattisgarh, after reviewing the submissions, highlighted that under Section 12-2 of the Domestic Violence Act, charges of such nature require cohabitation under a shared household to validate claims of domestic abuse. Given that Vishal and his wife have their permanent residence and employment in Pune, along with documented proofs like electricity bills and Aadhaar cards registered in Maharashtra, the court found no substantial basis to link them to the alleged domestic violence in Bilaspur.
