In a new ruling, the Orissa High Court reduced the monthly maintenance amount for Tapaswini Dash from Rs. 17,000 to Rs. 10,000 in her ongoing legal dispute with husband Dr. Sumit Sahu. The case has drawn widespread attention since 2020.
The court in Manju Ram Kalita v. State of Assam ruled that minor arguments cannot be considered cruelty under Section 498A IPC. Cruelty must be of a serious nature to invoke this law.
A Delhi court ruled that a wife capable of earning cannot remain idle and burden her husband financially. The court ordered the husband to pay Rs 12,000 per month for one year, during which the wife should actively seek employment.
The Karnataka High Court ruled that a wife and her partner are not liable for the husband’s suicide due to her illicit relationship, stating that it does not meet the legal standard for abetment of suicide under Section 306 IPC.
The Bombay High Court overturned a conviction for cruelty, ruling that minor domestic issues like stopping a daughter-in-law from watching TV or visiting the temple alone do not amount to cruelty under the IPC.
The Gujarat High Court ruled in favor of a woman’s right to choose her path, stating that as an adult, she can make her own decisions. The ruling followed a petition filed by her live-in partner seeking her custody.
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 Orissa High Court acquitted a man accused of raping his sister-in-law, ruling that her failure to resist, despite being a grown woman with sexual experience, indicated the act was consensual and not against her will.
The Karnataka High Court ruled that a wife cannot sit idle and claim full maintenance from her estranged husband. She is only entitled to supportive maintenance while making efforts to sustain herself. The court upheld the reduced maintenance awarded by the appellate court.
The Madras High Court has ruled that a wife and children from a second marriage are entitled to maintenance under Section 125 CrPC, even if the first marriage is still legally valid. This decision came as the court dismissed a petition challenging a Family Court’s order for maintenance.
