Court finds Leander Paes guilty of domestic violence against partner Rhea Pillai

A metropolitan magistrate court in Mumbai has held in its order that tennis player Leander Paes committed various acts of domestic violence against his former partner, Rhea Pillai.

The model-actor had filed a domestic violence case against Paes in 2014.

The court asked Paes to pay monthly rent of ₹50,000, apart from monthly maintenance of ₹1 lakh to Pillai if she chooses to leave their shared residence.

Metropolitan magistrate Komalsing Rajput had passed the order earlier this month, which was made available on Wednesday.

Pillai had approached the court in 2014 seeking relief and protection under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, saying that she was in a live-in relationship, akin to marriage, with Paes for eight years.

She claimed that Paes, through his acts and conduct, “caused verbal, emotional and economic abuse, which resulted in tremendous emotional violence and trauma”.

“It is proved that the respondent caused various acts of domestic violence,” the magistrate said in her order.

Pillai will not be entitled to monetary relief if she chooses to continue living in their shared residence at Bandra. The magistrate said that with Paes’ tennis career “almost over”, it would cause “serious prejudice” to order him to live in a rented home while also paying maintenance to Pillai.