Businessman asked to pay Rs 1.25 L monthly maintenance to wife

A businessman has been directed to pay Rs 1.25 lakh as monthly maintenance to his wife of 30 years by Delhi High Court which considered his wealth, income out of investments and lavish lifestyle including possession of expensive paintings worth crores of rupees.
Allowing the plea of a woman, whose son is married, for interim monthly maintenance, Justice P K Bhasin rejected the husband's claim that he got just Rs four crore from family business and he could not pay such a large amount as maintenance.
"If the defendant (husband) had got something over Rs four crores only from family business funds after its closure then how could he have the treasure of expensive paintings worth Rs ten crores unless he has income from other sources. The defendant (husband) is not coming out with true state of his financial affairs.

"In the plaint, the plaintiff(wife) has pleaded that the defendant's monthly income is between four to five lakhs of rupees. And this income, prima facie, appears to be income on account of interest only from the investments to the tune of over Rs five crores which admittedly have been made by the defendant in banks and NHAI.....," the court said.
The court fixed the quantum of interim maintenance on the basis of wife's submissions that besides huge investments to the tune of over Rs 15 crores, made by her husband from his own money, he also owns a property in New Friends Colony the market value of which would not be less than Rs 20 crore.

"In view of this undisputed wealth of the defendant, this court is of the view that the prayer of the plaintiff for grant of maintenance of Rs 1,25,000 per month till the controversies between the parties are resolved finally in the present suit, appears to be justified," the court said and asked the husband to pay the monthly maintenance with effect from 2011, when the suit was filed.