Tennis ace Leander Paes has moved the sessions court in Bombay against a magistrate court’s February 2022 order directing him to pay a monthly maintenance of Rs. 1 lakh to Rhea Pillai, his former live-in partner and mother of his daughter. His argument is that no relationship existed between them at the time Rhea had filed a domestic violence complaint in 2014. Holding that Paes had committed various acts of domestic violence against Rhea, the court had also directed him to pay a monthly rent of Rs. 50,000 to Pillai on the condition that she would leave his Carter Road flat at Bandra West in Bombay within two months.
In his plea, Paes has denied that his relationship with Rhea was in the “nature of marriage”. He added that while he had always taken his daughter’s financial responsibilities, Rhea only splurged on herself. The two met in 2005 and had their daughter in 2006. After the birth of their child, their relationship broke down and, according to Paes, he remained cordial for the sake of the baby. He also alleged that Rhea was married to Sanjay Dutt until 2008 and got two flats at Bandra, worth Rs. 20 crore during their divorce, but still chose to live in his (Leander’s) flat. Paes sought the quashing and setting aside of the lower court’s order. He also sought a stay on the effect of the order in the interim. The plea will be heard next week.