Mumbai, September 17: The Karnataka High Court recently observed that if a man leads a good life, his wife can't be left in a lurch. The state high court made the observation while doubling the interim maintenance amount payable to the wife. "When the husband is or has been in the realm of a luxurious lifestyle, the wife and son cannot be left in the lurch," Justice M Nagaprasanna said. The High Court bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna directed the husband to pay monthly maintenance of Rs 1.5 lakh to his wife.

Earlier, the family court had awarded the woman and her child a monthly allowance of Rs 75,000. Besides increasing the maintenance amount, the Karnataka High Court also directed the husband to pay the litigation expenses incurred by his wife and the educational expenses of his child, reports the Times of India. As per the report, the couple got married in 2001 and have a 21-year-old son. HC on Rape Allegation After Consensual Sex: Woman Cannot Allege Sexual Assault After Being in Physical Relationship Willingly for Six Years, Says Karnataka High Court.

In 2021, the wife filed a complaint against her husband at the family court, alleging cruelty after differences emerged between the couple. The woman also sought annulment of the marriage. In her application, the woman sought Rs 2 lakh as interim maintenance and Rs 5 lakh towards litigation expenses and the education of the child. In October 2022, the family court in Bengaluru directed the husband to pay his wife Rs 75,000 monthly as interim maintenance.

Both husband and wife later challenged the family court's order. The wife claimed that the maintenance awarded was too low as her husband ran five companies and spent Rs 11 lakh per month on himself besides maintaining a fleet of cars. While the husband argued that the maintenance amount was on the higher side as he claimed that he had a Rs 2.4-crore business loan. He told the court that he was paying an EMI of Rs 7.7 lakh for the same. HC on Wife Paying for Husband's Travel: Karnataka High Court Overturns Family Court's Order Mandating Woman to Pay for Husband’s Travel From US in Divorce Case.

After hearing both sides, Justice Nagaprasanna noted that the husband was doing well for himself, with all his companies performing well. Following this, the judge dismissed the husband's petition and observed that if the husband could maintain a fleet of cars and bear an EMI of over Rs 7 lakh, then it would not absolve him of the responsibilities to maintain his wife and son.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 17, 2023 12:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).