Wife’s Right to Live as per Husband’s Status: Indore Sessions Court Ruling
The Indore Sessions Court has reaffirmed that a wife has the right to live a dignified life and enjoy the standard of living that matches her husband’s status. This includes the responsibility of the husband to provide for her basic needs such as food, clothing, and household expenses. Failing to do so is considered economic domestic violence under the law.
In this case, the court ordered Mahendra, a builder and engineer, to pay his wife a lump sum of ₹25 lakh and monthly maintenance of ₹15,000.
The dispute began years ago when Mahendra and his wife started living separately after marital disagreements. Initially, in 2008, the district court directed Mahendra to pay ₹5,000 per month as maintenance. Dissatisfied with this decision, the wife filed an appeal through her lawyer, KP Maheshwari, in the Sessions Court.
The husband argued that his wife is capable of earning her own income and that he should not be obligated to pay maintenance. However, the court rejected this claim, stating that economic domestic violence includes not providing basic necessities or financial support when the husband has the means to do so.
Court’s Observations
The court ruled that economic, mental, and physical violence fall under the definition of domestic violence. In this case, Mahendra failed to provide for his wife’s daily needs despite having sufficient financial resources. This was deemed economic domestic violence.
The court also noted that while Mahendra is paying for his children’s education and daily expenses, there was no valid reason to deny maintenance to his wife. However, her claim for ₹51 lakh in compensation for property loss and mental harassment was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
Conclusion
This judgment highlights the legal obligation of husbands to ensure their wives live with dignity, reflecting their social and financial status. It also reinforces the consequences of economic neglect within marriage.
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