The husband would physically assault the woman, who was malnourished as the family lived a hand-to-mouth existence. She even lost her first child due to the condition. When the second child turned out to be a daughter, the man was infuriated and abandoned her. The HC has now awarded about Rs 1 lakh in maintenance to the woman. The Family Court had earlier rejected her maintenance claim.

Rajendra Patil and Preeti (names changed to protect privacy) were married on May 6, 1996 after which they moved to Rajendra’s government quarters in Andheri. They soon began quarrelling over trivial matters such as Preeti’s cooking, and Rajendra even accused her of being unfaithful.