A Delhi court has restrained a man and his wife from assaulting and abusing his elderly mother and has asked them to pay Rs 20,000 as damages for causing "emotional distress" to her.
The court while allowing the plea of the elderly woman seeking protection from her son and daughter-in-law, asked the police to take appropriate legal against them if the woman lodges any complaint.
Besides damages, the court also asked the man to pay Rs 2,500 per month as maintenance to his mother saying she does not have sufficient means of subsistence for herself and she has been subjected to serious mental and physical torture by them.
"The respondent number one and two (man and his wife) are directed to pay Rs 20,000 (Rs 10,000 each) to the complainant (mother) as damages and compensation for causing injuries and emotional distress to her," Metropolitan Magistrate Savitri said.
"Respondent number one and two are restrained from causing domestic violence i.E physical violence and verbal abuses etc against her and protection orders are accordingly passed in favour of the complainant," it said.
The woman had approached the court saying her husband had expired 20 years back and since then she was the owner of the property and one of her sons and daughters-in-law were residing on the first floor.
She also said that her other son, who was looking after her, was also residing separately with his family there.
In her plea, the aged woman alleged that on December 22, 2010, her elder son and daughter-in-law illegally entered her room and started beating and abusing her and when her younger son tried to save her, they also assaulted him.
She said that she had lodged a complaint with the police on the same day but no action was taken against them.
She alleged that her son and daughter-in-law never paid a single penny to her and whenever she asked them to pay water and electricity bills, she was abused and beaten up by them.
The court passed the order ex-parte as no one appeared before it on behalf of the son and his wife.
