The woman contended that her husband allegedly subjected her to severe physical assault and attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon, causing total eleven injuries.The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted bail to a man accused of assaulting his three-month pregnant wife and allegedly pressuring her to undergo a foetal sex determination test, while directing him to make sincere efforts to overcome his liquor-consuming habit and take care of his family responsibilities.Justice Sanjay Vashishth observed that if the wife so desires, she may continue to reside at her parental home till the delivery of the child and until she regains her normal physical and mental condition. “It would also be in the larger interest of the family, if the petitioner (husband) makes sincere efforts to overcome his habit of consuming liquor and takes due care of his aged mother and family responsibilities,” the August 3 order said.The order added, “this observation is being made with a view to ensure that no untoward situation or inconvenience arises for the complainant in the matrimonial home during this sensitive period.” Justice Sanjay Vashistha heard a matrimonial dispute and granted bail to a man accused of assaulting his pregnant wife.Physical assault on pregnant wife The man filed a bail plea before the high court, seeking regular bail. The case relates to an alleged incident on April 14 and 15. The petitioner is the husband of the complainant and is accused of physically assaulting her. The couple got married on May 5, 2019, and have two daughters aged five and a half years old and two years old. According to the case, the woman alleged that she was three months pregnant when her husband, after consuming alcohol, frequently quarrelled with her and assaulted her. She alleged that he pressured her to undergo an ultrasound to determine the sex of the foetus as he did not want another girl child,She also alleged that during the incident he pulled her hair, hit her against the wall, assaulted her with fists and kicks, and caused injuries on her forearm with a knife/ vegetable cutter. Based on her complaint, an FIR was filed on April 20, five days after allege incident. The woman was found with 11 injuries, but they were classified as simple in nature.Story continues below this adAdvocate Impinder Singh Dhaliwal for the husband argued that there was an unexplained delay of five days in filing the FIR despite alleging that the incident occurred earlier. It was also submitted that the injuries suffered by the wife were not serious in nature, and sought regular bail.The State, opposing the plea, argued that the husband allegedly did not want a third female child, and repeatedly forced his wife to undergo a sex determination ultrasound with an intent of terminating if the foetus was female.The state submitted that when the wife refused to undergo such an illegal procedure, the husband allegedly subjected her to severe physical assault and attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon, causing a total of eleven injuries.State counsel argued that the husband acted with the intention of preventing the child from being born alive, thereby attracting the provisions of Section 91 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. It is argued that since the offence is grave and the husband acted brutally, he does not deserve the concession of bail.Story continues below this ad‘Bail granted’The court observed that the case arose from a matrimonial dispute between the husband and wife, and that if the allegations against the husband were proven, they were serious. Noting that he had already spent three months in custody since April 21, and the investigation was complete and trial would take a considerable time, it held that keeping him in jail would not serve any purpose.The court granted bail to the husband, while directing him not to threaten or influence prosecution witnesses. It also clarified that the observation made in the order should not affect the trial must be considered independently based on evidence.Somya Panwar is a legal journalist at The Indian Express (Digital), where she covers the various High Courts across the country and the Supreme Court of India. Her writing is driven by a deep interest in how law influences society, particularly in areas of gender, feminism, and women’s rights. She is especially drawn to stories that examine questions of equality, autonomy, and social justice through the lens of the courts. Her work aims to make complex legal developments accessible, contextual, and relevant to everyday readers, with a focus on explaining what court decisions mean beyond legal jargon and how they shape public life. Alongside reporting, she manages the social media presence for Indian Express Legal, where she designs and curates posts using her understanding of digital trends, audience behaviour, and visual communication. Combining legal insight with strategic content design, she works on building engagement and expanding the desk’s digital reach. Somya holds a B.A. LL.B and a Master’s degree in Journalism. Before moving fully into media, she gained experience in litigation and briefly worked in corporate, giving her reporting a strong foundation. ... Read More