MP High Court: Woman Living With A Man With Or Without Marriage Entitled To Maintenance After Separation

Bhopal (Madhya Pardesh): A woman who had lived with a man for a significantly long period of time, with or without legal marriage is entitled to maintenance post separation, Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered.

The verdict came after a man, Sailesh Bopche, moved from Balaghat district court to MP High Court challenging the court's orders to provide Rs 1500 monthly allowance to the woman he used to live with but now has separated with.

According to information, Bopche has been living with a woman for a long period of time and the couple also have a child. After being separated, the woman went to court claiming she got married to Bopche in a temple but failed to prove it. She demanded a maintainence allowance from the man. The district court gave a verdict in the woman’s favour after which Bopche moved to High Court.

Bopche challenged the orders on the grounds that the woman, who claimed to be his wife, was unable to prove the marriage. However, MP HC has dismissed his petition. 

The bench of justice G S Alhuwaliya said, “Since the petitioner (man) and respondent (woman) were living together as husband and wife for a significantly long period of time, also the woman has given birth to child and there is no evidence to deny the fact, the respondent is entitled for a monthly maintenance.”