In a sharp rebuke that cut through legal formalities like a hot knife through butter, a Delhi court has fired back at a woman who filed a criminal complaint against her estranged husband—despite already pocketing half of a divorce settlement.
The court didn’t mince words. Calling it a “sheer abuse of process” and a “deliberate concealment of material facts,” the bench took the unusual step of launching suo motu criminal proceedings against her.
Here’s the heart of it: the woman had agreed to a ₹19 lakh settlement as part of mutual divorce terms. She accepted ₹10 lakh upfront. But instead of following through with the legal process—like returning to court for the second motion to finalize the mutual consent divorce—she filed a criminal complaint, skipping over the small detail of that already-received sum.
Judge Anam Rais Khan was unimpressed, describing her actions as “an attempt to deceive this court” and an “active concealment” of the agreement she had already benefited from. “Such conduct cannot be left unchecked and has to be nipped in the bud,” the court declared, signaling a hard stop on what it viewed as manipulation of women-protective laws.
To make matters stick, the court invoked Sections 340 and 195(1)(b) of the CrPC, ordering criminal proceedings against the woman for what appears to be filing a false affidavit and suppressing vital information.
The estranged couple had filed for mutual divorce back in November 2022. The initial ₹10 lakh was paid promptly, and the man reportedly remained willing to pay the remaining amount. But instead of continuing with the process, she took the money, used it, and then launched the new case—without any mention of the existing settlement.
Even the Delhi High Court is already entangled, as the husband had earlier filed a contempt petition where the woman admitted to receiving the amount.
Now, she must explain herself. The Delhi court has demanded her reply, with the next hearing set for June 30.
Justice may be slow, but it’s got a long memory.