Overview
- Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma modified a 2023 interim order, setting the husband’s monthly payment at ₹25,000 for three minor children while affirming the trial court’s core findings.
- The court rejected the husband’s claim that a working mother’s request amounts to misuse or entitlement, stating that mothers should not be forced to exhaust themselves as fathers evade responsibility.
- The bench cited Supreme Court precedents holding that both parents must contribute in proportion to their means and that the father ordinarily bears primary responsibility for educational and essential expenses.
- The husband’s assertion of a ₹9,000 monthly income was weighed against qualifications and income tax records that suggested higher earning capacity, prompting closer scrutiny of disclosures.
- The wife sought maintenance only for the children, not for herself or rent, with the court emphasizing that maintenance encompasses upbringing, education, health and a standard of living consistent with the parents’ means.