Couple traded allegations of cruelty from 2010

MUMBAI: The legal dispute between renowned artist Chintan Upadhyay and his deceased wife Hema, who was found murdered along with her lawyer Haresh Bhambani on Saturday night, dates back to 2010, when Chintan approached the family court in Bandra for a divorce, accusing his wife of cruelty.

The family court granted a decree of divorce to Chintan on October 29, 2014 and ordered him to pay Hema a permanent alimony of Rs 16.51 lakh. Hema, herself a well-known artist, took the matter to the Bombay high court, where her appeal remained pending up to her death.

According to the family court order, the marriage of the two artists was solemnised as per Hindu rites and customs in Jaipur on October 31, 1998. Though minor issues started cropping up right from the wedding night, the two started drifting apart in 2009, when they started fighting in front of their domestic help and employees at Chintan’s studio.

The next year, Chintan approached the family court, claiming Hema was cruel and insensitive and that she suffered from severe personality disorders.

Hema responded to the allegations by accusing Chintan of exploiting her and claiming he was an alcoholic and a chain smoker.

Though the family court did not find any substance in Chintan’s allegations, it noted that Hema’s counter-allegations were wild, reckless and unsubstantiated. “Making such defamatory and wild allegations against the spouse amounts to mental cruelty,” the family court said.

The court also said that because of the legal battle between the two, “marital sentiments and emotions” had dried up and were unlikely to be restored by an artificial reunion. “Essence of marriage has gone,” said the court. “The marriage became shackle for them.”

THE COURT SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE LEGAL BATTLE BETWEEN THE TWO, “MARITAL SENTIMENTS AND EMOTIONS” HAD DRIED UP AND WERE UNLIKELY TO BE RESTORED BY AN ARTIFICIAL REUNION