Woman can't claim DV Act protection for relationship with married man, says Bombay HC
The Bombay High Court recently decided that a woman who knowingly had a long-term relationship with a married professor isn't entitled to protection or financial support under the Domestic Violence Act.
The court said such relationships "hold no legal sanctity" and don't count as a domestic relationship under the law.
What happened in the case?
The woman, an engineer, said she was forced into a sexual relationship starting in 2001 and claimed they "got married" in 2005 while he was still legally married.
They shared property, bank accounts, and even had a child through IVF.
After things ended, she sought maintenance and compensation—initially winning her case before it was overturned by the sessions court.
Ultimately, Justice Manjusha Deshpande ruled that since she knew about his existing marriage from the start, her petition couldn't stand under the DV Act.