Man asked to pay Rs 1,500 to estranged wife and daughter

Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Ekta Gauba also asked the man, a tailor, to pay Rs 8,000 as litigation cost to his estranged wife who had sought maintenance saying she had been thrown out of her matrimonial house by her husband and in-laws in August 2004 when she was pregnant.

"Considering his (man) income, I award Rs 1,000 per month as maintenance in favour of petitioner number one (woman) and Rs 500 per month as maintenance in favour of petitioner number two (daughter)....," the magistrate said.

The woman, a Delhi resident, had alleged her marriage was solemnised with the man in February 1999 but soon after the marriage, her husband and in-laws began harassing and beating her up.

She said she was constantly tortured and humiliated by her husband and in-laws and was thrown out of her matrimonial house in August 2004, since when she has been residing with her parents and while husband refused to maintain her.

The man denied his wife's allegations and said he had neither neglected nor refused to maintain her and it was she who had left him without any justification.

He said his wife was working as a maid and when he had gone to take her back from her parental home, she refused to come with him. (More)