K’taka HC rules wife involved in adultery cannot demand maintenance under domestic violence act
Bengaluru: In a recent judgment, the Karnataka High Court ruled that a wife engaged in an adulterous relationship cannot claim maintenance from her husband under Section 12 of the Domestic Violence Act.
Justice Rajendra Badamikar, presiding over a single-judge bench, delivered the verdict, rejecting the revision petition filed by the wife in an attempt to overturn the Magistrate court's maintenance order.
The case centered around the wife's application under Section 12 of the Act, where she sought financial support, citing her legal marital status. However, compelling evidence presented in court established her extramarital affair with a neighbor. In response, the husband contested her plea, asserting that the wife had abandoned their matrimonial home to live with her paramour, thereby forfeiting her entitlement to maintenance.
Initially, the Magistrate court had granted a protection order under Section 18 of the Act, awarding the wife Rs. 1,500 as maintenance, along with Rs. 1,000 for rent allowance and an additional Rs. 5,000 as compensation. Dissatisfied with this decision, the husband approached the Sessions court, which subsequently set aside the Magistrate's order.
Justice Badamikar, in his detailed judgment, remarked, "The oral and documentary evidence produced clearly establishes that the petitioner is not honest towards her husband and she has extramarital affairs with the neighbor. When the petitioner is engaged in adultery, the question of her claiming maintenance does not arise at all."
The court underlined that the wife's conduct, engaging in an adulterous relationship, invalidated her claim for maintenance despite her legal marriage status. Justice Badamikar emphasized, "The learned Magistrate has failed to appreciate any of these aspects and, in a mechanical way, awarded the maintenance and compensation, which is a perverse order. The learned Sessions judge has re-appreciated the oral and documentary evidence and has rightly rejected the claim of the petitioner in view of the fact that she was leading an adulterous life."
This ruling sets a significant legal precedent, emphasizing the importance of honesty and fidelity in domestic relationships when seeking legal redress under the Domestic Violence Act.
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AI reshaping music, filmmaking in Kannada cinema
Bengaluru: Artificial Intelligence is slowly changing the way music and creativity are produced in the Kannada film industry, raising concerns among musicians, singers and technicians, The New Indian Express reported on Sunday.
Music composer, actor and director V Manohar reportedly said, AI is being used to write lyrics, especially in low-budget movies. Once lyrics are generated, AI can suggest thousands of tunes. It even asks whether the voice should be male or female. With one click, a complete song is ready.
“If this continues, singers and musicians will have less or no work in the coming days. But it may not succeed either. A few years ago, dubbing was allowed and people could watch movies in any language they preferred. But not many took to it as they wanted to watch a movie in the original,” TNIE quoted him as saying.
According to the report, Filmmaker Avinash U Shetty, a National Award winner, said resistance to new technology is not new. Those who resisted shifting from analogue to digital films years ago have now embraced it. The industry is now using only 10% of the AI potential. If it is scaled up, it can do unimaginable things. What we consider bad now, may not be after five years.
Highlighting the cost advantage, Sangamesh, an independent creator reportedly said, he made a three-minute video using AI for just Rs 4,500. Earlier, the same work would have cost nearly Rs 15 lakh. I finished the entire project in three days. The only expense was the AI software subscription, he said.
These days, it has become difficult to differentiate between the real and AI. AI is creating artistes. Scenes like war, big fights and dance can be shot with a lesser number of artistes. Then with the aid of visual effects and AI, you can achieve what you have in mind, he said.
Actor-director D P Raghuram felt that while AI has made an impact on music, it lacks emotional depth. Cinema earlier involved hard work and strong emotional connections. AI can help improve our work, but creativity should remain human, he reportedly said.
As per the report, earlier, Kannada cinema employed hundreds of junior artistes, who not only earned wages but also shared meals on sets and formed lasting bonds with stars like Dr Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan and Ambareesh. Today, filmmakers fear that increasing dependence on AI could reduce such human connections, turning creativity into just another automated process.
