The Bombay High Court on Thursday, September 3, issued contempt notices to a senior citizen couple and their married daughter for “suppressing” the transfer and subsequent sale of a flat that had been protected as a shared household in a domestic violence case.

Calling it a “serious and shocking case” of fraud played on the court, a single-judge bench of Justice Madhav J Jamdar directed the Court Receiver to take “immediate forcible physical possession” of the flat where the married daughter currently resides and evict anyone found occupying it.

The court also directed that police protection be provided to the receiver while implementing the order.

The court was hearing an application filed by the senior citizen couple in proceedings initiated by their daughter-in-law under the Domestic Violence Act.

In February 2024, a Metropolitan Magistrate had allowed the daughter-in-law to reside in her matrimonial home, or shared household, and directed her husband and in-laws not to disturb her possession. In May 2024, she agreed before the High Court to reside in rented accommodation near the matrimonial home.

In August 2025, the high court was subsequently informed that Rs 30,000 per month was being paid to the woman pursuant to the May 2024 order, which it accepted.

However, on Thursday, Justice Jamdar observed that the applicants had failed to disclose that they had executed a gift deed in May 2024 transferring the flat to their married daughter. The daughter subsequently sold the flat to a third party through a sale deed in May 2026 for Rs 1 crore, the court noted.

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“This is a serious case where an order (August 2025) has been obtained by playing fraud on this Court,” Justice Jamdar observed, adding that “such type of tactics should not work”.

The court recorded a prima facie finding that the couple and their daughter had committed contempt and directed all three to remain personally present at every hearing.

The Court Receiver’s charges of Rs 50,000 will ultimately be recovered from the couple and their daughter, the court said. The matter will be heard next on September 7.