Pune: A local court has directed a man residing in Australia to provide his wife with interim maintenance of Rs 35,000 per month and a room in a flat in Wakad. The order was issued by Judicial Magistrate First Class Akshi Jain in a domestic violence case.
As per the court’s ruling, the husband is required to pay the interim maintenance amount from December 27, 2021, until the final verdict. Additionally, he must ensure that his wife has access to a room in the Wakad flat within 15 days.
Couple met through a matrimonial website and got married on December 5, 2016. This was the second marriage for both. After three years, the husband decided to move to Australia for further studies and employment, assuring his wife that he would call her once he secured a stable job. However, instead of reuniting with her, he asked her to stay elsewhere as a paying guest, as he and his parents were leaving for Nashik.
Contrary to his claim, his parents later returned to live in the flat but allegedly subjected wife to physical and mental harassment, refusing to let her stay there. Realizing her situation, she sought legal assistance from advocates Sonali Aru and Prachi Jamdade to claim her right to live in the flat and requested interim alimony of Rs 1 lakh per month to cover her daily expenses.
Both parties submitted affidavits outlining their financial status. Madhav, a civil engineer educated in Australia, reportedly earns between Rs 1 to 3 lakh per month and owns properties in Pune and Nashik. Meanwhile, Madhavi stated that she incurs monthly expenses of Rs 30,000 and has a loan of Rs 50,000 in her name.
After reviewing the details, the court noted that husband, having a stable income and property in Pune, could not evade his financial responsibilities toward his wife. It further emphasized that a husband is morally and legally bound to ensure his wife’s well-being, including her living conditions and medical needs. The court ruled that interim maintenance was necessary to help Madhavi maintain her standard of living, considering inflation and the rising cost of living.
