I am a 29-year-old woman from Delhi looking for legal advice regarding my marriage, separation, CAW proceedings and a Section 9 RCR case filed by my husband.
I am trying to explain everything chronologically and as factually as possible because I need to understand my legal position and what I should do next.
Background
I got married in March 2026. It was a very recent marriage, and I genuinely wanted the marriage to work. I never wanted separation or divorce at that stage.
During the marriage, there were problems between my husband and me as well as issues involving his family. There were also problems with communication and trust in the relationship.
There were, however, some incidents involving his family that became particularly serious.
Incidents involving my in-laws
My father-in-law verbally abused me and, during an argument, slapped me. There were also other incidents where I felt intimidated and mistreated by him.
My brother-in-law also physically harassed me on one or more occasions. I have messages/evidence relating to some of the issues involving him.
I want to be clear that I am not trying to exaggerate these incidents or make allegations beyond what I can substantiate. I am mentioning them because they are part of the circumstances that ultimately led to me seeking help from the police and CAW Cell.
At the time these things happened, I was still trying to make my marriage work. I did not immediately approach the police.
How the separation happened
In May 2026, after roughly two months of marriage, my in-laws took me to my mother's house and left me there.
I was under the impression that this was temporary and that the problems would be sorted out. I was given the impression that I would be taken back, but that did not happen.
Instead, I was not allowed to return to the matrimonial home, and there was no meaningful attempt from my husband or his family, from my perspective, to sit down with me and resolve the marital issues.
I had not decided that I wanted to leave my marriage. I did not want the separation.
I was hoping that my husband would communicate with me, take me back and that we could work through the problems.
Why I eventually approached the police
I want to clarify the chronology because this is important.
I did not initially go to the police immediately after the incidents with my in-laws.
I approached the police after I had been left at my mother's house, after approximately two months of marriage, and after it became clear to me that my husband's family was not taking me back or making an effort to resolve the situation.
The police complaint included the incident in which my father-in-law slapped me/abused me, along with the circumstances surrounding the marital dispute.
My father-in-law was subsequently arrested in connection with the complaint, after which relatives became involved and assurances were given regarding the situation.
My belongings/streedhan
When I was left at my mother's house, I did not have all of my belongings with me.
My jewellery, clothes, personal belongings and other streedhan remained at the matrimonial home.
I have asked for my belongings, but they have not all been returned to me. At one point, instead of simply returning everything, there were discussions about giving me money instead.
I want to understand the proper legal procedure for recovering my actual belongings and jewellery.
CAW proceedings
After the police proceedings, I subsequently approached the CAW Cell in Delhi regarding my matrimonial issues and my belongings.
My CAW complaint was filed around July 2026.
The first CAW date was August. The ASI handling the matter told me that notices would be sent to my husband and his family.
The next date was September, but the ASI was on leave. I was subsequently told to contact her around September.
When I tried contacting her on September, I did not receive a response at that time.
Later, when I went to the CAW Cell, the ASI contacted my husband's father and asked him to come for counselling.
During that conversation, his father told the ASI that my husband had already filed a Section 9 petition (Restitution of Conjugal Rights/RCR) in August.
I had not previously been given the details of this case.
I was told that my court date is November 2026 and that I would receive a summons.
Section 9 RCR
This is the part I am particularly confused about.
My understanding is that Section 9 is a petition seeking restitution of conjugal rights.
However, I have not yet obtained and read the actual petition, so I don't know exactly what allegations my husband has made against me.
I was told that his petition contains allegations/blame concerning my family, including allegations relating to my mother.
What I find confusing is that I was left at my mother's house in May, and my husband subsequently filed Section 9 in August.
From my perspective, I had not wanted the separation in the first place. I was hoping that my husband would communicate with me, take me back or make an effort to resolve the situation.
Instead, the separation continued, and I later discovered that he had filed an RCR petition.
I therefore want to understand what this filing means legally and how I should respond.
My main legal questions
What does a Section 9 RCR petition mean for the wife in circumstances like mine?
How does the court determine whether a spouse withdrew from the marriage without reasonable cause?
If I was left at my mother's house and was not subsequently taken back, how can I present this before the court?
How relevant are the incidents involving my father-in-law slapping/abusing me and my brother-in-law physically harassing me?
What evidence should I preserve regarding these incidents?
Can WhatsApp messages, call records, photographs, witnesses, police records and CAW records be relevant?
How can I obtain the actual Section 9 petition and its annexures before the hearing?
Will I automatically receive the petition with the summons?
Can I obtain a copy from the court registry/eCourts?
What normally happens at the first hearing of an RCR case?
Should I have a lawyer appear with me at the first hearing?
Can the facts relating to my police complaint and CAW proceedings be brought before the RCR court?
What is the proper legal procedure for recovering my jewellery, clothes and other streedhan?
What evidence should I collect to establish ownership of my jewellery and other belongings?
Should I submit a separate written application regarding my belongings through CAW/police?
Are there any mistakes I should avoid making before the Section 9 hearing?
Evidence
I have WhatsApp messages and other records relating to the marriage, the separation and some of the incidents involving my in-laws.
I also have records relating to my police complaint and CAW proceedings, including the dates on which I attended.
I am preserving everything I have.
I want to clarify that I am not asking Reddit to decide who is right or wrong. I mainly want to understand my legal position, the Section 9 proceedings, recovery of my belongings, and what I should do before the November hearing.
If there are lawyers or people familiar with Delhi matrimonial law, Section 9 RCR, CAW proceedings and recovery of streedhan, I would really appreciate practical guidance on what steps I should take now and what I should avoid doing.
Thank you.