Rhea Pillai tells hitlist that she will be filing a domestic abuse case against Leander Paes. Read the full story and about similar cases in Bollywood

Rhea Pillai has decided to file a domestic violence case against Leander Paes and his family. The model turned Art of Living teacher tells hitlist, `I am being abused, accused and threatened as a result of which I feel unsafe and insecure in my house. I am most definitely filing a domestic violence case.` However, she refuses to discuss details about when Leander had abused her physically. `I will share that with my lawyer,` she says.


Apart from publicly accusing Leander Paes of violence, Rhea Pillai claims that he and his family forcibly entered her apartment and locked her out of it

On Thursday evening, Rhea was locked out of her house and allegedly threatened by Leander's staff. She then filed a police complaint against the tennis star. Rhea says that after she returned from the police station, Leander's father forcibly entered her room and decided to just stay there. Rhea had to call the police again claiming that Leander's father has been threatening her for some time now.


Adnan Sami (right) had to pay ex-wife Sabah Galadari a compensation of R1 crore after she accused him of violence and blackmail

It may be noted here that Leander is now fighting a court battle against Rhea over the custody of their daughter. Leander and Rhea met in 2003 on a flight to Goa after which a relationship blossomed between the two. In 2005, their daughter Aiyana was born. In his petition, Leander has alleged that their relationship deteriorated soon after their baby was born.

Advocate Mrunalini Deshmukh says, `Under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005, a woman, even if not married, but in a live-in relationship, is entitled to maintenance and in case of violence, even monetary compensation. Just recently, singer-composer Adnan Sami had to pay a compensation of Rs1 crore to his ex-wife Sabah Galadari on account of violence and emotional blackmail charges against him.`


Shweta Tiwari fought a legal battle for six years before she divorced Raja Chaudhary


Yukta Mookhey and Prince Tuli are apparently filing for divorce by mutual consent; Yukta had complained about her husband's cruelty

When spats went public
There have been several such instances in the past where celebs have gone public with their scuffles. In 2013, the Versova police booked Om Puri in an assault case after wife Nandita Puri filed a complaint against him. Nandita accused him of hitting her with a stick following an argument at their Versova home. The couple has been facing problems over the actor's relationship with his former wife, Seema Kapoor, for quite some time now; it is learnt that this couple is now trying to work towards reconciliation.

In 2012, Miss World-turned-actress Yukta Mookhey had filed a harassment case against her husband and in-laws. The actress married Prince Tuli, scion of wellknown Tuli Family of Nagpur, in 2008. On July 3, 2013, Yukta again filed a case against her husband and in-laws under sections 498A (cruelty) and 406 (criminal breach of trust). She had also accused Tuli under section 377 (unnatural sex), and filed a private compliant with a magistrate against her husband's alleged cruelty. Now the couple has moved HC seeking to quash their case against each other. They have a four-year-old son who lives with Yukta in Mumbai. It is now being said that the couple will apparently file for a divorce by mutual consent.

TV star Shweta Tiwari and her husband's Raja Chaudhary controversy was also a public affair. In 2007, Shweta filed a police complaint against Raja alleging physical abuse and cruelty; this was followed by an application for divorce. The couple, that has a teenage daughter named Palak, was married for seven years and the actress had to fight a case for six years before her divorce came through. The relationship between the two is said to have deteriorated because of Raja's drinking and violent behaviour. When her court case was on, Shweta had reportedly described her life with Raja as one long 'vanvaas' (exile). After her divorce, she got married to actor Abhinav Kohli last year.

In 1985, Zeenat married actor Mazhar Khan and later on, they had two sons, Azaan and Zahaan. There were reports that Mazhar used to beat her up and this is said to have ultimately led to their divorce.


In September 1998, Zeenat called a press conference alleging that her husband and in-laws had barged into her house and broken some of her belongings. At this press conference, Zeenat also said that she got nothing out of her relationship with Mazhar. She added that her in-laws had taken her son away from her. Fellow actress Dimple Kapadia had come out in support of her at that time.