KOLKATA: An NRI doctor has agreed to pay Rs40 lakh as alimony to his wife, from whom he had separated just a week after their marriage six years ago.
Dipak Sharma of New Hampshire in the US has paid Rs30 lakh to his wife Vinita for withdrawing criminal charges she brought against him and his sister and will pay another Rs10 lakh as a divorce settlement.
Sharma, a paediatrician, was married to Vinita of upmarket New Alipore area in this metropolis in 2001 but relations between them soured within a week following serious differences on some issues.
He left for the US just eight days after the wedding and allegedly took with him Rs10 lakh in valuables.
After attempts at a patch-up failed, Vinita filed a police complaint in 2004 under section 498A (dowry-related torture) of the IPC against Sharma and his sister Sunita, who had arranged the marriage.
Learning about this, Sharma gave power of attorney to Sunita, who filed a divorce suit in a court in Delhi.
The West Bengal Women's Commission, which was approached by Vinita, moved the Delhi court and had the case transferred to Kolkata.
Sunita was arrested by West Bengal Police from her residence on January 25 on the basis of a police complaint.
Following her arrest, Sharma rushed back to India and negotiated a settlement with Vinita.
After getting a bankers' cheque for Rs30 lakh on Tuesday, Vinita approached Justice SK Gupta of Calcutta High Court through the Commission's lawyer Bharati Mutsuddi to quash the case against Sharma in a court in Alipore.
