The Bombay High Court has directed a police constable to be detained in civil prison for six months for wilfully disobeying court orders by failing to pay the remaining Rs 20 lakh of a Rs 28 lakh settlement with his wife towards alimony and residence and their child’s maintenance . The court observed that his conduct showed “scant regard” for court orders and rejected financial constraints as a defence, noting that the loans he cited had been taken before he agreed to the settlement.

Justice Sharmila U Deshmukh described the woman as an “unfortunate wife” who had complied with the court’s directions and withdrawn several proceedings against her husband, but was left without the full settlement amount despite his undertaking to pay it.…