Mumbai court allows tennis icon Leander's condonation of delay plea in appeal against domestic violence case order

Mumbai court allows tennis icon Leander's condonation of delay plea in appeal against domestic violence case order

A sessions court in Mumbai on August 21 allowed tennis legend Leander Paes' plea for "condonation of delay" in filing an appeal against a magistrate court's order in a domestic violence case filed by his former live-in partner Rhea Pillai.

Paes' plea was allowed by Additional Sessions Judge R K Kshirsagar subject to payment of cost of Rs. 20,000 within one month. Condonation of delay refers to an exception in which courts or other bodies cannot reject the appeal filed by a party on the ground that there is a delay in filing the suit.

In February last year, the magistrate court had held that Paes had committed various acts of domestic violence against Pillai and had directed him to pay a monthly maintenance of Rs 1 lakh to her. The court had also directed Paes to pay a monthly rent of Rs 50,000 to Pillai on the condition that she would leave his flat in Carter Road area in Bandra West within two months.

In November last year, Paes moved an application before the sessions court here seeking the quashing of and setting aside of the lower court's order. He had also moved an application for condonation of delay in filing the appeal to the Bandra metropolitan magistrate court's order passed on February 11, 2022 in the domestic violence case filed by Pillai.

Pillai had opposed his plea saying it was "devoid of any substantial and genuine grounds" to justify the seven-month delay in filing an appeal. The statutory period for filing appeal is 30 days under Section 29 of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005.