A family court in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has ordered a woman who runs a beauty parlour to pay ₹5,000 per month as maintenance to her husband after their separation.
According to the petitioner’s lawyer, Manish Zarole, Aman Kumar, a 23-year-old resident of Ujjain, met Nandini through a mutual friend in 2020. Nandini proposed marriage, but Aman initially refused. She allegedly threatened to end her life if he didn’t agree. The couple married in July 2021 at Arya Samaj Mandir and began living in Indore.
Aman claimed that soon after marriage, Nandini and her family harassed him and stopped him from continuing his studies. Just two months later, in September 2021, he left their home and returned to his parents’ house. Since then, the two have been living apart. Aman stated that he was forced to drop out of college and remained unemployed, while Nandini, 22, a graduate, ran a beauty parlour in Indore.
Following their separation, Nandini filed a missing person report against Aman, while he lodged a harassment complaint against her family and sought divorce and maintenance from the family court. In December 2021, Nandini also filed a domestic violence case against Aman.
Last year, Aman petitioned the Indore court to declare their marriage null and void. During a recent hearing, Nandini told the court she wished to reconcile, but the court found contradictions in her statements, especially regarding her employment status. She had claimed to be unemployed, but evidence showed she was running a business.
The court ruled in Aman’s favour, ordering Nandini to pay ₹5,000 per month in maintenance and cover additional litigation costs. The case highlights that under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, both men and women have the right to claim maintenance.
In 2020, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court seeking gender- and religion-neutral laws for maintenance and alimony, to which the Central government’s response is still awaited.
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==
