In a recent case, the Supreme Court has ordered the sale of six shops owned by Varun Gopal’s father to ensure that his wife, Shilpi Srivastava, receives her maintenance payments. The court instructed the Registrar of the Delhi High Court to manage the sale and deposit the proceeds in a fixed deposit account for Shilpi.
Shilpi, originally from Chhattisgarh, sought approximately Rs 1.25 crore in unpaid maintenance from her husband after their separation around eight years ago, following a two-year marriage. After their split, Varun married again in Australia and has two children from this second marriage.
Following their separation, Shilpi had been receiving a monthly maintenance payment of Rs 1 lakh through a family court in Bilaspur. However, after filing cheating charges against Varun and his family, he applied for anticipatory bail. When this request was denied, he stopped attending maintenance hearings in India.
During this legal battle, Varun’s father, Mohan Gopal, was arrested due to the criminal proceedings initiated by Shilpi and spent ten months in jail between 2018 and 2019.
In the following year, Shilpi appealed to the Chhattisgarh High Court, requesting an increase in her maintenance amount to Rs 1.27 lakh, arguing that Varun’s monthly earnings were Rs 4.25 lakh, and she deserved 30% of that amount. She contended that the previous amount was not sufficient considering the lifestyle she had enjoyed during her marriage.
The case reached the Supreme Court after Shilpi was unable to collect the maintenance of Rs 1.27 lakh per month and the arrears owed to her. She requested that several shops owned by her father-in-law be transferred to her name, allowing her to live off the rent generated from them. She stated that if she received Rs 1.25 crore as arrears, she could earn Rs 60,000-65,000 per month in interest and Rs 55,000 from a gym located on the first floor of the building.
During the proceedings, Mohan Gopal argued that he was not responsible for paying maintenance to his son’s wife, stating that the maintenance order was solely against Varun and could only be enforced through his assets.
However, Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar countered this by highlighting Varun’s persistent defiance in complying with court orders. They stated that both Varun and Mohan Gopal were responsible for fulfilling the payment obligations.
Consequently, the Supreme Court has mandated the sale of the six shops to ensure that Shilpi receives her due maintenance payments.
Be a part our social media community:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndianMan.in?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/indianman.in?igsh=MWZ2N3N0ZmpwM3l3cw==
