The Gujarat High Court ruled that Family Courts must use guesswork to assess a husband’s income in the unorganized sector when deciding maintenance pleas, as income is often difficult to determine.
The Bombay High Court has ordered a working woman to pay ₹10,000 in monthly maintenance to her unemployed, ill ex-husband. The court emphasized that both men and women are equally responsible for providing support under the Hindu Marriage Act.
The Karnataka High Court doubled a stay-at-home mother’s maintenance, acknowledging that caring for children is a full-time job. The court dismissed the husband’s claims of financial instability and increased her maintenance from ₹18,000 to ₹36,000.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court fined a woman ₹1 lakh for misusing the legal process by continuing a case against her ex-husband even after a mutual divorce and settlement. The court found the charges baseless and driven by ulterior motives.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that a mother coaching her daughter to speak against her father amounts to mental cruelty, upholding a divorce petition filed by the father. The court highlighted the harmful effects of parental alienation in such cases.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a woman can seek relief under the DV Act even after her marriage is declared null and void, upholding her rights as an aggrieved person in a domestic relationship.
The Bombay High Court quashed an FIR against a man’s girlfriend, stating she is not a relative and cannot be charged with cruelty under IPC Section 498A in a domestic violence case.
The Delhi High Court ruled that false complaints filed against a spouse constitute an act of cruelty, upholding the husband’s divorce petition. The court noted that the wife’s malicious actions, including false allegations and withdrawal from mutual settlements, caused mental cruelty.
The Allahabad High Court granted relief to sisters-in-law accused in a dowry harassment case, ruling that they were not direct beneficiaries of dowry demands. The court directed a fresh hearing of their discharge plea, highlighting the lack of evidence and their distant living locations during the alleged incidents.
The Kerala High Court ruled that minor disputes or demands for dowry without evidence of cruelty do not violate Section 498A IPC. The court emphasized the need for substantial proof to establish claims of harassment or cruelty in marital relationships.
