Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde Ordered to Pay ₹2 Lakh Monthly Maintenance to Estranged Wife and Daughter

A Bandra court ruled that the NCP leader subjected his first wife to domestic violence and must provide financial support retroactively from 2022.

The Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate Court directed Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde to pay ₹1.25 lakh monthly to his estranged first wife, Karuna Sharma, and ₹75,000 to their daughter, Shivani, as interim maintenance.
The court found evidence of domestic violence and ruled that Munde’s denial of his marriage to Sharma amounted to emotional abuse under the Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
Munde had argued that Sharma, a businesswoman, did not require financial support, but the court emphasized that she and her daughter are entitled to a lifestyle comparable to his.
The maintenance payments are retroactive from December 2022, when Sharma filed the domestic violence complaint; their son, Seeshiv, is not entitled to support as he is an adult.
Sharma has expressed dissatisfaction with the ordered amount and plans to appeal for higher compensation, while social activists have called for Munde’s resignation over the ruling and other controversies.