The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently fined two women in separate cases for refusing to withdraw FIRs against their former husbands despite having settled their marital disputes and receiving alimony. The women were fined 40,000 and 25,000 respectively, with the court expressing disapproval of their continued bitterness and legal delays.
The court, presided over by Justice Sumit Goyal, emphasized that holding onto bitterness cannot be justified legally, especially after the settlement of all marital disputes and the acceptance of alimony from their ex-husbands. Both cases involved accusations under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to cruelty by a husband or his relatives.
In one instance, a woman failed to appear in court despite being summoned, while in the other, the lawyer claimed the settlement document was forged. However, the court found no credible evidence to support this claim and noted that there had been no petition challenging the divorce decrees as fraudulent or coerced.
The court further stated that continuing the FIRs would constitute an abuse of legal process, and using its powers under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC), 1973, it quashed the cases and imposed the fines.
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This action follows a similar case last month where the court fined another woman 50,000 for hesitancy in settling a marital dispute and failing to record her statement before the magistrate, despite having received 22 lakhs in alimony from her ex-husband.
