NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Saket Court has ruled in favour of a man who accused his ex-wife of defamation, ordering her to pay Rs 15 lakh in damages.
The case revolved around allegations of defamatory emails and chats that the ex-wife had purportedly sent, targeting her ex-husband.
The couple, married since 2001, had their relationship deteriorate over time, leading to the wife leaving the matrimonial home in 2009 with their minor daughter. The husband alleged that since then, his ex-wife had engaged in a series of frivolous and malicious litigations, making defamatory accusations against him and his family.
He further claimed that she had prevented him from seeing their daughter and used abusive language against him and his mother in emails and chats with her friends. The marriage was dissolved in 2021 on grounds of cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, but the defamation allegedly continued, with emails sent to the husband’s employer, his ailing maternal uncle.
The husband also reported that due to the ongoing harassment, he had to undergo major surgery in March 2022, costing him `6 lakh. The ex-wife contested the suit, arguing it was a malicious attempt to harass her. However, the court found her defense inconsistent and self-contradictory.
Judge Sunil Beniwal held the ex-wife liable for defamation. She was ordered to pay Rs 15 lakh in damages, with an additional 9%interest from the date the suit was filed. “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 filed by the plaintiff have been duly proved, supported by way of an electronic evidence affidavit, and remain unrebutted. The defendant has not challenged the authenticity of the said emails.” read ther order.