Thane Court upholds 6-month sentence for man convicted of bigamy and harassment | Representative Image
Mumbai: The Thane sessions court dismissed the appeal of a 42-year-old man sentenced to six months of rigorous imprisonment by the additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) in 2017. The man’s estranged wife proved he had remarried without divorcing her. The court noted that the accused harassed his wife and doubted her character, causing her mental distress.
Milind Khandu Buchude married the victim in 2000, and the couple had two children, the second born in 2003. After their second child’s birth, Milind abandoned his wife.
In 2006, she discovered he had remarried without seeking a divorce. Returning to their Andheri home, she faced further harassment as Milind openly displayed obscene behavior with his second wife and demanded Rs2 lakh from her. She also alleged he had taken her streedhan. Finally, she filed a domestic violence complaint.
Based on evidence and testimonies from the wife and their son, the ACJM found Milind guilty. The sessions court upheld the trial court’s findings, highlighting that the accused’s unsubstantiated doubts about his wife’s character and his behavior amounted to mental ill-treatment. It concluded that the trial court had correctly appreciated the evidence and delivered a fair judgment.
