HC suggests Om Puri and his wife to settle dispute amicably

The Bombay High Court suggested that actor Om Puri and his estranged wife Nandita Puri should try to amicably settle their matrimonial dispute.

Justice Revati Mohite-Dere asked the warring couple today, to appear in her chambers on April 16 to work out a solution.

Om Puri had approached the high court challenging an October 2013 order of the family court here directing him to pay Rs 1.25 lakh and Rs 50,000 monthly maintenance to his wife Nandita and son respectively.

According to Om Puri's advocate Mrinalini Deshmukh, this maintenance was in addition to the Rs 1.15 lakh maintenance the actor had been paying to Nandita voluntarily.

"Ever since the couple separated, Om Puri has been paying Rs 1.15 lakh every month as maintenance to Nandita. He has also been taking care of the educational expenses of his child and other house maintenance. The couple had arrived at a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by which they had agreed for divorce by mutual consent," Deshmukh said.

Justice Dere said that if both parties are willing, the matter can be settled amicably.

"If the parties have signed an MoU then why cannot this be settled? If everything is amicable, then what is the point of all this? Work out something," Justice Dere said.

When advocates for both Om Puri and Nandita agreed to this, Justice Dere directed them to appear before her along with their clients (Om Puri and Nandita) in her chambers on April 16.