Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has penalized a petitioner for misusing the habeas corpus remedy by falsely claiming that his wife was abducted by someone.

A division bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice MS Raman slapped a penalty of Rs 50,000 on the petitioner after it was found that his wife had left her in-laws’ house voluntarily over marital discord.

Expressing displeasure over the misuse of habeas corpus remedy, the HC bench has directed the petitioner, a resident of Balasore district, to deposit the penalty amount with the Odisha State Legal Services Authority within two weeks.

As per the case records, the petitioner had approached the police with a complaint that his wife was kidnapped. He later filed a habeas corpus petition in the Orissa HC and sought its intervention to trace and rescue his wife.

While disposing the case, the HC criticized the petitioner by saying that he had filed the habeas corpus petition to pressurize his wife, who is now living separately due to the marital dispute.