"If a woman holds an MBA and if (she) has a business background, she cannot be allowed to sit idle at the cost of (her) husband," held the family court, rejecting the plea of a woman who had asked for an increase in the interim maintenance amount from her ex-husband.
The woman, in her plea, had said she needs the maintenance increased because, apart from household expenses, she needs money towards her personal expenses like clothes, birthday gifts, and visits to beauty parlor.
As per the court's order copy, the woman had approached the family court seeking a divorce from her businessman husband in 2011. She had also filed a domestic violence case against him before the magistrate court, which had asked the husband to pay a monthly maintenance of Rs1.25 lakh.
The woman, in her application, claimed she needs a maintenance amount of Rs4.5 lakh per month — Rs80,000 towards groceries, Rs10,000 towards toiletries, Rs40,000 towards vegetables, fruits and milk, around Rs60,000 towards hobbies of her two children, Rs4,000 towards dog's expenses, and Rs30,000 towards her personal expenses, among others.
She had contended that her ex-husband is a reputed businessman, a writer and an IT professional, having assets worth crores of rupees. "He was drawing a salary of Rs35 lakh per month but, to deprive his wife of her maintenance claims, he resigned and entered into some family arrangement with his parents and brothers. The husband is said to be a member of Breach Candy and WIAA clubs and resides in a posh area in Chicago," read her application, adding that she and her children want to live life befitting the standard of her ex-husband.
The man, however, opposed her application on the ground that she hid the fact that she is an MBA and had run her own business and has earning potentiality.
"(The) Husband himself is paying society charges and bearing additional expenses of the wife and children. The wife's mother is said to have died intestate and 50% of her shares have come to her (the wife). The wife's claim comes up to Rs2.5-3 lakh. Also, the sale of her farmhouse fetched her Rs5 crore," read the court order copy.
Thus, the court ruled that interim maintenance cannot be allowed to turn out into "a bonanza for a wife". "The wife and children already have rent-free accommodation. Also, it's not as if the wife is a babysitter and cannot pursue any job..." said the court.
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