Leander Paes-Rhea Pillai divorce: Court says 'parties not interested to settle the dispute'

After tennis champion Leander Paes’ matrimonial dispute with wife Rhea Pillai failed to reach an out-of-court settlement, the Supreme Court on Monday, * May 2017, expressed readiness to adjudicate it, reports India Today. A bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy were quoted saying, “Parties are not interested to settle the dispute and we cannot force them.”

The Apex court bench decided to recuse from hearing the matter as Justice Mishra observed, “Since we have heard the matter in the chamber. We know so many things, it may influence.”

During the earlier hearing, counsel for Pillai told the court that Paes was backing out of his earlier promise pay maintenance and has not done anything for providing her with a residence.

Paes’ lawyer said Pillai had already got a house from Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt (her former husband) and the tennis star was not ready for another such demand. “He (Paes) is not agreeable to anything. Niether does he want to give anything, nor does he want to pay money”, Pillai’s counsel told Times of India.

The top court had earlier asked the two to appear before its mediation cell to settle their dispute. However, attempts for an amicable settlement haven’t succeeded so far.

(With inputs from agencies)