A metropolitan magistrate court in Mumbai has found former tennis player Leander Paes guilty of domestic violence in a case filed by model-actor Rhea Pillai against her former partner. In the case Reha alleged that he committed various acts of domestic violence against her.
The court also directed Paes to pay an additional amount of Rs 100,000 towards legal cost and expenses, while continuing to take care of expenses of their daughter. There would be an additional increase of 5% every year, from the month of March 2023, so that Rhea “shall not be compelled to knock on the doors of court again and again for enhancement of the amount of maintenance and house rent to meet the inflation, till the date up to which the said order remains in force,” said the court.
Rhea had filed the case in 2014 seeking relief and protection under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, saying she was in a live-in relationship, akin to marriage, with Paes for eight years. She had said that Paes, through his acts and conduct “caused verbal, emotional and economic abuse, which resulted in tremendous emotional violence and trauma.” The court said, “It is proved that the respondent caused various acts of domestic violence.”
Directing Paes to pay a monthly rent of Rs 50,000, apart from a monthly maintenance of Rs 100,000 to Reha, the court, however, said if she chose to continue living in their Bandra residence she would not be entitled to monetary relief. It rejected prayers of Reha seeking payment of past maintenance and partition of their shared residence.
