In a significant ruling, a local court upheld domestic violence charges against a man and his family, directing them to pay ₹10,000 per month as maintenance to his estranged wife and their minor child while restraining them from interfering in her life.
City Judge Abdul Bari delivered the judgment, stating that the petitioner Sabeen Iqbal Mir, a journalist, had “successfully proved the allegations of domestic violence” against her husband Naveed Bashir, and his family members. The court ordered Naveed to pay the monthly maintenance before the 5th of each month and issued a restraining order preventing him and his family from harassing or interfering in Sabeen’s life “at any point of time.”
The case was filed under the ‘Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005’, with Sabeen alleging physical, emotional, and economic abuse shortly after her 2018 marriage. She accused her husband of illicit relationships, character assassination, and forcibly taking back her mehr (dower) and gold ornaments. Currently living with her child at her parental home, Sabeen argued that her modest income as a journalist was insufficient for their upkeep. While the court granted partial relief, acknowledging the cruelty inflicted upon her, it did not rule on her demand for an alternate residence. The judgment reinforces legal protections for domestic violence survivors in Jammu and Kashmir. (Inputs from legal proceedings)
