Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dhananjay Munde has moved the sessions court in Mumbai, challenging a magistrate's interim order directing him to pay monthly maintenance to a woman who claims to be his first wife.
The appeal, filed through advocate Sayali Sawant, disputes the magistrate court’s interim order, arguing that the magistrate "erroneously" concluded a marital relationship existed between Munde and the respondent, Karuna Munde. According to the appeal, the minister and Karuna never legally married, thereby negating any claim of a domestic relationship.
Details of the Appeal Filed by Dhananjay Munde
Dhananjay Munde, in his appeal, stated clearly that he was never married to Karuna, and that their relationship began through interactions at political events, eventually developing into a mutual personal relationship. Two children were born from this relationship, for whom Munde allowed the use of his surname strictly for official documentation purposes.The appeal emphasized that Karuna was fully aware of Munde's existing marriage with Rajshri Munde yet willingly chose to pursue a personal relationship with him. It further claimed a significant shift in Karuna’s behavior occurred after Munde’s electoral success in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections and his subsequent induction into the state cabinet.
Following these developments, according to Munde, Karuna and her family reportedly started making repeated demands for substantial financial support. The appeal accused Karuna of misrepresenting herself on multiple social media platforms under the name "Karuna Dhananjay Munde," falsely portraying herself as the minister’s wife.
Magistrate Court’s Interim Order Challenged by Minister
On February 4, the magistrate's court in Bandra had partially granted Karuna's interim plea in the domestic violence case filed against Munde in 2020. The court ordered the minister to pay interim maintenance of ₹1.25 lakh monthly to Karuna and an additional ₹75,000 monthly for their daughter.The magistrate, in that interim decision, had found prima facie evidence of domestic violence committed by Munde against Karuna. Despite Munde’s claims of never being married to Karuna, the magistrate had observed that available documents supported Karuna’s claim of a shared domestic relationship.
Current Proceedings and Next Hearing Date
During the latest hearing on Friday, Karuna Munde sought additional time to file her response before Additional Sessions Judge Shaikh Akbar Shaikh Jafar. She assured the court that she would not seek the execution of the maintenance order until the next hearing date. Consequently, the sessions court adjourned the matter until March 21, directing her to submit a copy of her response ahead of that date.The primary domestic violence complaint filed by Karuna Munde in 2020 is yet to be conclusively decided by the magistrate’s court.
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