Husband can't take wife's belongings/ jewellery without permission- Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has stated that it is against the law for a husband to remove his wife's jewellery or other household items without her consent. No one may be permitted to impose their own laws, the Justice Amit Mahajan Bench further stated.

In a case where the woman claimed that her belongings were stolen while she was abroad, the Bench made these observations when denying anticipatory bail to the husband.

The husband was the subject of a FIR under section 380 IPC.

The petitioner (husband) is married to the complainant, and the FIR was filed against him as a result of a matrimonial conflict, according to the husband's attorney's argument before the court. He added that the residence in question is rented.

The petitioner further argued that the wife left the home of her own free will and that he was forced to give up the tenancy; as a result, the aforementioned items were taken out of the house.

However, the wife's attorney claimed that after spending three days at her parents' home, the complainant's wife returned to find the house locked and all of the furniture gone, prompting her to file the irate complaint. The wife couldn't be expelled and the house was the marriage home, it was further asserted.

The wife's attorney added that the wife bought domestic items such the TV, laptop, cash jewellery, etc., and that these items have nothing to do with the case currently underway between the parties and are connected to istridhan. The IO of the case informed the court that another witness had verified the landlord's claim that the spouse had taken possession of the household.

Even though the petitioner is the complainant's husband, the Bench noted from the outset that he is not legally permitted to remove the household belongings.

The husband has not cooperated with the investigation, and the articles have not yet been found, the court further stated.

The court declined to grant anticipatory bail because it believed the accusations made against the husband were serious.

Akshay Dhingra vs NCT of Delhi