While asking a person to approach the Karnataka High Court, the Supreme Court has observed that it was because of the inaction of the police that he was a free man despite disobeying a judicial order.

A bench said, “You should be arrested for not abiding by the court order directing you to pay the compensation of Rs 75,000 to your former wife within the stipulated period after the divorce.”  “You must have managed the police and it is possible in India,” observed the bench on Thursday while asking the person to pay the amount or approach the lower court.

Mahesh, a driver in Bangalore, had approached the court seeking direction to reduce the compensation amount saying that it was too big an amount for him to pay to his former wife  – Ruparani, who is now married to a local political leader.

The court did not show any leniency when the counsel of Mahesh said that the lady is married to another person and leading a lavish life with her husband, who is also married to another woman who has four children from her earlier marriage. Mahesh was arrested by the police and had spent 29 days in judicial custody in 1995 when his wife filed a divorce petition under Section 498 of the IPC. 

The Sessions Court had acquitted him and directed him to pay a compensation within two months while granting him divorce in November 2006. The Karnataka High Court refused to reduce the compensation amount and directed him to pay it to the woman.