The Delhi High Court today upheld a lower court order directing a wealthy woman to pay monthly maintenance of Rs 20,000 to her estranged and unemployed husband.
The woman runs a business with an annual turnover of about Rs one crore.
Justice G S Sistani upheld the trial court order that had awarded maintenance to Rajeev (name changed) two years ago.
'He should also enjoy the same status as his wife,' Justice Sistani said. 'Law is equal for both of them. When husband is unemployed then the wife, who is working, should maintain him,' said the court.
The couple have a son and a daughter aged 26 and 24 years respectively.
Rajeev argued that his wife Priya and children threw him out of their home in 2006 accusing him of having an affair with another woman.
The court considered Priya's flourishing business of a hotel cum paying guest in Greater Noida while fixing the maintenance.
Rajeev had purchased the hotel in his wife's name.
Rajeev had filed for divorce in 2008 in the trial court on the grounds of desertion. He later filed a maintenance plea under section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act.
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:INJlwEh3MYEJ:www.indlawnews.com/NewsDisplay.aspx%3F38677031-0fb4-4a1b-ad4f-7b08e5b77fee+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&source=encrypted.google.com
