Allahabad High Court Says ₹2,500 Monthly Maintenance is Too Little for Middle-Class Women
The Allahabad High Court recently ruled that a ₹2,500 monthly maintenance is too low for a middle-class woman to survive even a basic lifestyle. Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra made this observation while hearing Shilpi Sharma’s plea. She had challenged a family court’s order that directed her husband, Rahul Sharma, to pay her ₹2,500 per month as interim maintenance under Section 125 CrPC.
Shilpi argued that the amount was extremely low compared to her husband’s true income, which she claimed was over ₹4 lakh per month. She provided evidence of his luxurious lifestyle, like hiring a driver and domestic help, which clearly contradicted his claim of earning just ₹12,000 monthly. She said she would need at least ₹50,000 per month to meet her daily needs.
She also requested that the maintenance should be paid from the date of her application (September 1, 2014), so she could maintain the same standard of living she had while staying with her husband.
In response, the husband claimed he had resigned from his job in 2016, that his financial condition had worsened, and that his wife had left him without a valid reason. He also said she was highly qualified and earning around ₹15,000 per month in 2017. He argued that since she refused to live with him, she should not get maintenance. However, the Court rejected all these arguments.
The Court pointed out that the husband had been irregular even in paying the small interim maintenance amount and that his claims of financial struggle were unconvincing, given his wealthy family background and former employment as an engineer. It criticized him for trying to hide his real income to avoid paying a fair maintenance amount.
Considering all facts, the Court ruled that ₹2,500 was too little for a woman to live a simple life today.
Therefore, the Court enhanced the maintenance:
- From ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 per month from September 1, 2014 to November 2024.
- From December 2024 onwards, the husband must pay ₹10,000 per month during the ongoing maintenance case, unless modified by the family court under Section 127 CrPC.
With this order, the Court allowed Shilpi Sharma’s revision.
Case Title: Shilpi Sharma vs Rahul Sharma
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