Mumbai: In a setback to tennis star Leander Paes, a local court in the city has rejected his application seeking more time to file an affidavit of evidence in the ongoing domestic violence case filed by Rhea Pillai. Following the rejection of the application, the court closed the evidence in the trial.

Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate R.S. Sarkale had directed Paes to file his affidavit of evidence by March 7. According to Ms Pillai’s lawyer Amna Usman, from the chamber of counsel Mahesh Jethmalani, on Wednesday when the matter came up for hearing, Mr Paes sought an adjournment saying he needed more time to file his affidavit.

However, Advocate Usman opposed the application saying that the court has already granted him sufficient time and the trial should not be delayed further.

After hearing both the sides, the judge rejected Mr Paes’s application. “Application for adjournment of respondent is rejected,” said the judge. The court has now kept this matter for hearing final arguments from the lawyers.

Ms Pillai had filed a domestic violence case against Paes in 2014. In July 2017, the Supreme Court directed the trial court to decide the matter within six months.

Mr Paes had challenged the amenability of the application on the ground that the relationship between him and Ms Pillai was not in the nature of marriage and as per provision of the Domestic Violence Act, it cannot be invoked by the applicant.

This contention would also be decided by the trial court.