Jodhpur: In a decisive judgment affirming the financial rights of women in marital disputes, a family court in Jodhpur has ruled that a woman is entitled to alimony even if she is employed. The court directed a man, who owns an acupressure healthcare business, to pay Rs 2 lakh per month in maintenance to his estranged wife, a govt schoolteacher.
Delivering the order on Tuesday, Judge Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit of Family Court No. 3 considered the husband's significant income and financial capacity. The maintenance includes Rs 1 lakh for the wife and Rs. 50,000 each for the couple's two children until they reach adulthood.
Wife's counsel, Nagraj Goswami, cited a Supreme Court precedent, which states that a working wife is still eligible for maintenance, particularly when children are involved. "The husband operates a business across 10 cities, earning over Rs 7 lakh per month," Goswami said, presenting evidence to refute the husband's claim of being a small-scale vendor.
According to the petition, the couple married in Feb 1999, but their relationship soured due to allegations of domestic violence and infidelity. Goswami claimed the husband had extramarital affairs, with one of the sons even testifying in court after catching him with another woman.
Despite enduring years of abuse, the wife sought legal recourse in 2019 after being thrown out of the marital home along with her children.
The husband's lawyer argued that he merely sold wooden acupressure tools door-to-door and did not own a business. However, the court found this claim unconvincing, relying on financial evidence presented by the wife's counsel.