The case revolved around allegations of defamatory emails and chats that the ex-wife had purportedly sent, targeting her ex-husband
NEW DELHI: The Saket Court in Delhi has ruled in favor of a man in a defamation case against his ex-wife, ordering her to pay ₹15 lakh in damages.
The case revolved around accusations that the woman had sent defamatory emails and messages about her ex-husband.
Married since 2001, the couple’s relationship soured over the years, with the wife leaving the matrimonial home in 2009 along with their minor daughter. The husband alleged that his ex-wife had initiated baseless and malicious legal actions against him and his family while making defamatory statements.
He further claimed that she had prevented him from seeing their daughter and used abusive language about him and his mother in communications with her friends. Despite their marriage being dissolved in 2021 on grounds of cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the defamation reportedly continued, including emails sent to his employer and his ailing maternal uncle.
The husband also alleged that the ongoing harassment severely affected his health, resulting in a major surgery in March 2022 that cost him ₹6 lakh. The ex-wife denied these allegations, claiming the defamation case was a malicious attempt to harass her. However, the court deemed her defense inconsistent and contradictory.
Judge Sunil Beniwal found the ex-wife guilty of defamation and ordered her to pay ₹15 lakh in damages, along with 9% interest from the date the suit was filed. “The records clearly establish that the defendant engaged in defamatory acts through libel,” the court stated.
The judgment further observed, “The emails presented by the plaintiff were properly substantiated with an electronic evidence affidavit and went uncontested. The defendant did not challenge the authenticity of these emails.”
