Buy wife separate house or go to jail: Court

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Friday asked a man to purchase a house for his wife to live in separately from her in-laws or be ready to go to jail for not fulfilling a condition arrived during mediation in the trial court.

Justice S.N. Dhingra asked the woman, who had filed a criminal complaint for dowry harassment against her husband and in-laws, to find a house costing up to Rs.18 lakh, which would be bought by her husband.

The court also granted protection to the man by restraining police from arresting him for 30 days, during which he has to buy the house and start living with the woman.

“The investigating officer/station house officer shall approach the complainant (wife) who shall within one week locate the house which is available within Rs.18 lakh and the applicant (husband) shall purchase that house in the name of the complainant in terms of the compromise. In case, the house is not purchased within 30 days, this order (protection) shall exhaust itself and the investigating Officer shall be at liberty to arrest the applicant,” the court said.

The court’s direction came while hearing the man’s anticipatory bail application as similar protection granted to him earlier had been cancelled by a trial court due to his failure to comply with the condition.

The couple had reached a compromise Feb 18 to end the matrimonial battle also involving divorce and maintenance cases.