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BHARUCH/SURAT: High drama was witnessed in a court in Bharuch after a 34-year-old man fighting a divorce case drank poison when the judge urged the warring couple to strike a compromise.

Advocates and other litigants present in the court number 52 were shocked when Kamlesh Gondaliya took out a bottle of insecticide and consuming it before anyone could stop him. He was immediately rushed to a hospital and is said to be out of danger.

Gondaliya has been fighting the divorce case with his second wife, Neeta Mistry, for the past three years. He is suffering from severe depression due to unemployment and frequent bickering with his wife over domestic issues. After getting divorce from his first wife, Kamlesh married Neeta, also a divorcee, through a person running an informal marriage bureau around four years ago. He also has a four-year-old son from his first marriage who lives with him.

Earlier, Kamlesh, a resident of Sitanagar Chowk near Punanagar in Surat, used to work as a diamond polisher.

After two months of marriage, Neeta got pregnant and went to her parents’ house in Bharuch. However, she refused to return to Kamlesh due to daily quarrels and his behaviour. After a year of marriage, she filed a case for divorce and alimony in Bharuch court. The case has been going on for the last three years.

On Thursday, judge J J Agrawal advised Kamlesh to start living peacefully with Neeta and asked the couple to settle the matter. Even as Neeta agreed, Kamlesh took the drastic step. It was a pre-planned attempt as he had got the bottle with him illegally inside the court room.

On Friday, A J Shah, superintendent of second additional court, lodged a complaint against Kamlesh under IPC section 309 (attempting suicide) at Bharuch A-division police station .

