Bhopal News: It Is An Attempt To Extract Pound Of Flesh From Hubby; HC

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The High Court, principal bench of Jabalpur, has refused to grant interim maintenance to a wife who is earning Rs 20 lakh per annum, noting that the prayer was nothing but “an attempt to extract a pound of flesh from the husband”, which cannot be permitted.

The parties, who are from Bhopal, married in November 2022 and began living separately from June 2023, following which the husband filed for divorce. During the pendency of the proceedings, the wife filed an application seeking interim maintenance. She admitted that she earns Rs 20 lakh annually while her husband earns Rs 30 lakh annually.

The Family Court rejected the application filed under Section 24 of Hindu Marriage Act, which provides for the grant of maintenance during matrimonial proceedings. Aggrieved by the order, the wife approached the High Court.

The court observed there were no children to maintain and that the wife’s monthly income of approximately Rs 1.25 lakh was comparable to that of the husband, indicating no substantial financial disparity. Accordingly, the High Court dismissed the plea, affirming that the wife was not entitled to interim maintenance in the absence of financial dependency.

Advocate Rajesh Kumar Patel who appeared on behalf of the wife told Free Press that both parties were working in Pune. He said the court refused the plea as the demand was unreasonable.