Metropolitan Magistrate Rachna Tiwari Lakhanpal asked the man to pay the rent of his estranged wife accommodation saying "it is well settled that it is the duty and responsibility of the husband to provide maintenance and shelter to his wife."
"As far as relief of rent for alternative accommodation is concerned, the petitioner (wife) has proved upon the basis of uncontroverted and unrebutted testimony that she was thrown out of the matrimonial house by the respondents (husband and in-laws) and now she is at the mercy of her parents.
The woman, in her petition, said she got married in May 2005 but she was beaten and harassed by her husband and in-laws for her failure to bring dowry to their satisfaction. She alleged her husband and in-laws picked up a quarrel with her on August 24, 2007 following which she reported the matter to police.
She said she was thrown out of her matrimonial home when she was pregnant and after that her husband and in-laws refused to keep her with them.
During the arguments, the counsel for the woman pressed for relief of maintenance, medical expenses and rent for alternative accommodation. The court, however, denied alimony to the woman after she submitted that maintenance has already been fixed by another court.
The husband and his family denied the woman's allegations relating to cruelty or domestic violence upon her by them but they could not substantiate their claim.