Overview

• Justice Arvind Kumar Verma ruled that a divorce decree on adultery grounds disqualifies a wife from claiming maintenance under Section 125(4) of the CrPC.
• The High Court overturned a Raipur family court's order granting ₹4,000 monthly maintenance to the wife and dismissed her request for ₹20,000 per month.
• The husband argued that the wife's adultery, proven in the family court, barred her from maintenance and disputed her claims about his income.
• The wife alleged mental torture and financial neglect by her husband and in-laws but was found to have engaged in an illicit relationship with her husband's younger brother.
• The ruling underscores the evidentiary weight of divorce decrees in maintenance cases and highlights judicial interpretations of spousal support exceptions.