Guj man sent to jail for over 4 years for failing to pay maintenance to old parents

A man was awarded jail term of 1545 days by a family court here on Monday for not complying with a previous legal order which had directed him to pay the monthly maintenance allowance of Rs 1800 to his elderly parents.

The dues that remained unpaid for amounted to Rs 49,000.

Family court judge M K Parekh ordered that Kantibhai Solanki be arrested, after he told the court that he had no money to pay the monthly maintenance as had been directed by the court in 2015.

The family court had ordered Kantibhai and his brother Dayabhai to pay monthly maintenance of Rs 1,800 each to their father Ranchhodbhai Solanki (68) and mother Jasumati Solanki (67), after the elderly couple moved the court in 2013.

In their application, the senior Solankis had contended that their two sons were not providing them food or money to buy medicines, which made their survival difficult.

They had told the court that Kantibhai, who works as a sweeper, is living with them along with his wife and children, but is not taking care of them.

"After the 2015 order, Dahyabhai started paying his parents Rs 1800 per month, but Kantibhai refused to pay," said Ranchhodbhai Solanki's lawyer Wasim Abbasi.

The senior Solankis moved the court again and filed an application seeking recovery of unpaid dues from Kantibhai.

"Kantibhai came to the court Monday to attend the hearing of the recovery application filed by his parents. He told the court that he had no money to pay the maintenance, following which the judge ordered his arrest. He was sent to jail for a period of 1545 days (which is around four years and two months) under section 125 (3) of CrPC," Abbasi said.

Kantibhai was arrested and shifted to Central jail in the city, Abbasi added.