Pune: The Pune family court last week allowed serving of summons via WhatsApp to a banker in London as other traditional methods had failed. Recently, the Bombay High Court and Delhi High Court had asked to use modern technologies like email, WhatsApp, etc, to serve the summons. A 30-year-old woman from Bavdhan has filed Restitution of Conjugal Rights (RCR) case in the family court. She had got married in 2015 to a man from Vadgaon Budruk, who currently works in London.
“After few days of marriage, my husband and in-laws started harassing me for dowry and other customary gifts and also for not spending enough money on the marriage, but I kept quiet to save my marriage. Later, we started living in London, where too my in-laws and husband harassed me, abused me and also demanded Rs 10 lakh for a car. My husband even threatened to tear my UK visa and Indian passport if I did not fulfil the demands,” the woman stated in her complaint.
The woman further claimed that she was forced to return to India in August 2016, as she was unable to fulfil their demands. After coming to India, she started living with her parents and later filed a case of harassment with police and also for offences under Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act against her in-laws and husband and filed a petition for RCR in December 2017. “In January this year, when I went to London, I was asked to go back to India by the immigration officials, as my husband had complained that he is not in a relationship with me,” she further added.
As her husband was not responding to calls and messages, the summons could not be served to him. Her lawyer, Sudhir Reddy from Reddy & Reddy law firm, filed an application to serve the summons via WhatsApp. “The court of judge GG Bhalchandra, on November 22, allowed to serve him summons via WhatsApp. This also shows that the judiciary is open to accept modern technologies for fast-tracking justice delivery,” Reddy told Sakal Times.
