Madhya Pradesh High Court: Vivek Rusia, J. dismissed the revision petition and directed the applicant to pay Rs 3000 as maintenance to the respondents.
In the pertinent case, the applicant filed the present revision being aggrieved by the order passed by Family Court, Dhar whereby maintenance of Rs 3000 per month has been assessed with a direction to the applicant to pay it to the respondents.
The facts, in brief, are that the applicant and respondent are husband and wife. 7-8 years back the dispute arose between them due to the consumption of liquor and petty issues. Thereafter the respondent/wife has started living with her son, who is also married and working as labourer. The respondent/wife is also doing the work of maid in the houses of others and earning for herself. The applicant and respondent have a joint account in the State Bank with an amount of Rs 6 lakhs. Wife filed an application under Section 125 CrPC seeking maintenance from the applicant. The applicant submitted that he is not having any source of income and he is residing in the old aged home. The Family Judge after examining the record came to the conclusion that the applicant is earning and can maintain his wife.
High Court dismissed the revision petition and held that the respondent is surviving by doing the work of maid in the houses of other and she cannot be permanently dependent on her son who is also married and not having a permanent job. Further, the applicant has received the lump sum amount by selling the house and is lying in the bank and the wife is also a joint account holder but she is deprived of to use the said amount. Being her husband the applicant is liable to maintain his wife. Also, the amount of Rs 3000 per month cannot be said to be on the higher side.[Ashok v. Meenabai, 2019 SCC OnLine MP 1893, decided on 05-08-2019]
