Ahmedabad: A 34-year-old man under judicial custody escaped from a courtroom in Bhadra on Feb 18, according to an FIR filed with Karanj police on Tuesday. He was in custody for defaulting on maintenance payment to his wife.According to the FIR filed by a court officer attached to Court No. 3 at the sessions court in Bhadra, the accused had appeared before the family court in a maintenance recovery matter. The court had earlier issued notices and a recovery warrant against him for failing to pay maintenance to his wife, but compliance was not reported.
During the hearing on Feb 18, the presiding judge questioned him over the non-payment of Rs 1.12 lakh in pending maintenance, calculated at Rs 7,000 per month for 16 months between Jan 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025. The accused allegedly expressed unwillingness to deposit the amount. The court then ordered simple imprisonment of 180 days, subject to the statutory limit of 12 months, for default in payment.He was taken into judicial custody and directed to remain seated in the courtroom until the jail warrant formalities were completed. Court officials clearly instructed him not to leave the premises.However, during the recess around 2pm, the man allegedly slipped out of the courtroom. The court staff and on-duty personnel could not trace him.Following the incident, the court authorised the registration of an FIR under Section 262 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for escape from lawful custody.
