23 June,2016 08:09 AM IST | | Vinay Dalvi
She turned down a settlement proposal from Leander Paes' lawyers; both parties then exchanged other proposals, but remained tight-lipped on their content
In the course of the mediation proceedings between Rhea Pillai and Leander Paes, the Bombay High Court yesterday asked the estranged couple to amicably resolve their dispute for the sake of their eight-year-old daughter. However, when Paes' lawyer gave a proposal for settlement to Pillai and her lawyer, they rejected it, terming it as unacceptable.
Rhea Pillai termed the first proposal from Leander's lawyers as ânot acceptable' (right) The next hearing of the case will be on August 22, when Paes returns from tennis tournaments. File pics
Meanwhile, her counsel also handed a proposal to the tennis star's counsel, which the lawyer said he would show Paes and revert by August 22. Pillai had moved HC as she was aggrieved over the Sessions Court's decision in the case she had filed against him under sections of the Domestic Violence Act.
Consider the daughter
In the last hearing, HC justice Revati Mohite Dere asked both the parties to amicably settle the matter considering that they had an eight-year-old daughter. The justice had even volunteered to act as a counsellor for the couple and also carried out one session.
Pillai and Paes started living together since 2004 and in 2006, they had a daughter. They separated in 2013 and the same year, Leander filed for the custody of the child. Yesterday, when Paes' counsel handed over his proposal to Pillai through her lawyer Kaushal Thakkar, she said it is, "Not acceptable."
Her lawyers then handed Paes' counsel a proposal, which was given to the justice. "Please don't give me a copy, first give a copy to Leander's counsel as you both have to reach some conclusions," Justice Dere observed. "You people sit across the table and come with a reasonable settlement," she added.
Tight-lipped
But, both parties remained tight-lipped regarding what was present in the proposals. "We are still working on a mutual consent. We haven't reached anywhere," said senior counsel Dipesh Mehta, who represents Pillai. She has demanded Rs 4 lakh per month from Paes in her previous applications.
With the mutual consent of both the parties, the justice adjourned the matter till August 22, when Leander was likely to return to the country after the Rio Olympics and other tennis tournaments.
