Judge Sunil Beniwal of the Saket District Court in Delhi found that the acts of the ex-wife caused injury to the man and hampered his professional growth.
A Delhi court has recently held a woman accountable for defaming her ex-husband and has ordered her to pay ₹15 lakh in damages. Judge Sunil Beniwal of the Saket District Court found that her actions had harmed the man and hindered his professional progress.
“From the record of the case, it is evident that the defendant has indulged in acts amounting to defamation by way of Libel. The copy of email/ chats filed by the plaintiff have been duly proved, supported by way of an electronic evidence affidavit, and remain unrebutted. The defendant has not challenged and or taken any steps to challenge the authenticity of the said emails,” the Court said in its July 29 order.
The Court was reviewing a lawsuit in which the man sought damages from his ex-wife for defamation and for filing false legal cases against him.
Married in 2001, the husband claimed that the wife left their home with their young daughter in 2009. He alleged that she then began filing unfounded lawsuits and making false accusations about him and his family to various courts and authorities. Additionally, he claimed that she obstructed his access to their daughter, depriving him of her love and affection.
It was also argued that the wife used abusive and defamatory language about him and his mother in emails to her friends. The husband pointed out that in 2021, a family court had dissolved their marriage on the grounds of cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. Despite the divorce, he claimed that his ex-wife continued to defame him by sending emails to his elderly and ill uncle, who was also his employer.
He also alleged that the ongoing harassment forced him to undergo major surgery in March 2022, which cost him ₹6 lakh. In reply, the wife contended that the lawsuit was false, frivolous, and meant to harass her. She further argued that the lawsuit was barred by the statute of limitations, as it was based on chats from 2010 and emails from 2020. The Court observed that the wife had taken inconsistent positions depending on her convenience.
“It is observed that at Question no. 5 of the cross examination the defendant has stated that she only has only used one email ID till date where as in the very next question the defendant has admitted that she had mentioned another email ID in her income affidavit in the month of November 2017 filed in the DV case as filed between the present parties which is duly mentioned above”, the Court noted in its Order.
The Court determined that the lawsuit was filed within the permissible timeframe. It held the wife responsible and ordered her to pay ₹15 lakh in damages, along with 9 percent interest from the date the suit was filed until the payment is completed.
Advocate Minakshi Agarwal represented the husband, while advocate Fauzi Sayeed represented the wife.
