Pune Court Authorizes Police to Seize Property for Non-Payment of Maintenance
Pune, 13th October 2025: In a decisive move against defiance of court orders, a Pune court has directed the police to trace and attach the assets of a man and his family for repeatedly failing to pay maintenance and compensation to his wife in a domestic violence case. The couple has been identified as Jay and Lalita (names changed).
Lalita had approached the court on March 9, 2021, under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, claiming that her husband, Jay, and his family subjected her to both mental and physical harassment. Despite multiple summons, Jay repeatedly failed to appear in court hearings.
“Even after several notices, the respondent deliberately avoided attending court, leaving us with no option but to pursue the matter legally,” said Lalita’s lawyer, Adv. Pushkar Patil.
The court subsequently issued an ex-parte order against Jay, directing him and his family to pay Rs 40,000 as maintenance and compensation, along with Rs 5,000 towards legal expenses. However, Lalita did not receive the mandated payment despite repeated reminders.
Following continued non-compliance, Lalita’s legal team—including Adv. Ruturaj Pasalkar and Adv. Pratik Patil—filed a petition seeking enforcement of the earlier order.
After reviewing the petition, the court approved the issuance of a Distress Warrant. This legal instrument authorizes police to identify, inspect, and seize movable or immovable property of the defaulters to recover the unpaid dues.
A senior police officer involved in the case confirmed, “We have been instructed to locate and attach assets of the respondent and his family to ensure that the maintenance and compensation ordered by the court are duly paid to the aggrieved party.”
What is a Distress Warrant?
Under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, a Distress Warrant allows courts to take coercive action when an individual fails to comply with a maintenance or compensation order. Police can seize property of the defaulter, which may then be attached or sold under judicial supervision to ensure the aggrieved party receives the owed amount.
