In a landmark order, the sub-divisional magistrate’s office in Wai, Satara, has ruled that a woman must pay her father-in-law maintenance as his wife and son (her husband) died during the Covid-19 pandemic. Accepting the argument and evidence of Madan Shankar Mahindre (the man), through his advocate Ashwini Mane, the sub-divisional magistrate has ordered that his daughter-in-law should pay him Rs 5,000 per month under the Senior Citizens Act.
The word ‘maintenance’ conjures the belief that only a woman has the right to demand it from her husband; it has, in fact, been rooted in our society. Mahindre’s wife and son Pravin, a resident of Surur, died in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. After Pravin’s death, his wife Jyoti left her father-in-law alone.
Mahindre's Advocate Sought For Rs 15,000 Per Month As Maintenance
Mahindre has been suffering from heart and kidney diseases for the last few years. He has taken loans from his neighbours and banks for medical treatment and paying the instalments himself. His daughter-in-law Jyoti works for a Pune company and runs a private cloth business, earning nearly Rs 80,000 per month. Mahindre’s advocate had sought maintenance of Rs 15,000 per month.
The hearing on this application was underway for the past six months during which the woman was absent. Despite sending repeated notices, she appeared only once and gave oral statements.
