NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 14 The National Commission for Women has said it will examine the allegations of Veena Panda, the estranged wife of former Uttar Pradesh IGP D K Panda, that her husband “was using religion as a ploy to sell all his property and throw her out of his life so that he could marry someone younger...”
The statement came as Panda challenged an Allahabad High Court order directing him to pay maintenance money to his wife.
Veena has alleged that her husband had usurped all her “stree dhan” — gifts given at the time of marriage to which she has exclusive rights — and tortured her mentally and physically. She said Panda’s “design of behaving quixotically and opting for VRS was a deliberate ploy aimed at snatching all her rights to be owner of half his wealth”.
NCW Chairperson Girija Vyas will meet Panda and his wife in Allahabad this weekend to make her own assessment.
“The chairperson will meet both of them and try to work a way out of this bizarre situation,” sources said.
Even though the Pandas are battling it out over alimony, the Commission has decided to take up Veena’s petition since “it’s from a woman who’s hapless and virtually on the roads due to whims of her husband”. Panda, who dances to hymns praising Krishna, today approached the Supreme Court saying he could not afford to pay Rs 7,000 as he has opted for voluntary retirement from the IPS.
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