Leander Paes-Rhea Pillai Case: Paes Throws New Twist

Indian Tennis player Leander Paes and estranged live-in partner Rhea Pillai have been fighting a case after the latter filed a complaint against Leander and his father under Domestic Violence Act which includes live-in partners as well.

Rhea also demanded Rs 4 lakh from Leander for monthly maintainance but the Tennis player has come up with a strong defence.

Leander asserted that Rhea was already married to actor Sanjay Dutt when she linked up with the player and thus, their relationship was not in the 'nature of marriage' which is one of the principle criteria of the Domestic Violence Act.

Leander and Rhea also have a child and the duo are fighting for the custody of the eight-year-old girl child. An application filed by the lawyer of Leander Paes stated, "In Rhea's case, the child was born during the subsistence of her marriage with Sanjay Dutt. She was married when she entered into a relationship with Leander Paes, knowingly her relationship would not fall within the expression 'relationship in the nature of marriage' as it is mandated by the Act."

The application also added another point in Leander Paes favour stating, "Rhea herself has said that the couple had no intamacy after the birth of their daughter. This again shows that the relationship was not in the nature of marriage."