The Case in Simple Words
Recently, the Madhya Pradesh High Court gave a strong message in a case where a husband asked the court to reduce the monthly maintenance he had to pay his wife and children.
The court noticed something unusual: while the husband was complaining about having “no money,” he was also seen enjoying a luxury lifestyle — including owning a Harley Davidson bike.
Background of the Dispute
The couple married in 2018 and later had twin children in 2019.
One child was born with serious health problems, needing constant care and medical treatment.
In 2020, the wife moved back to her maternal home with the kids, claiming the husband had failed to support them.
The wife filed a case asking for ₹2,00,000 per month for her and the children’s expenses (rent, medicines, travel, etc.).
Family Court’s Decision
The Family Court carefully considered the case and ordered the husband to pay:
₹15,000 to the wife
₹7,000 to one child
₹12,000 to the other child
👉 Total = ₹34,000 per month (from February 2022 onwards).
The husband was not happy and appealed to the High Court, asking to reduce this amount.
High Court’s Strong Words
The Madhya Pradesh High Court firmly rejected the husband’s request. Here’s what the court said in simple terms:
Duty Comes First
A husband’s first responsibility is to maintain his wife and children.
Enjoying luxuries while refusing to pay maintenance is unacceptable.
Luxury Lifestyle vs. Claims of Poverty
The court noted he owned a Harley Davidson and other expensive assets.
If he can afford such luxuries, he cannot pretend to be too poor to support his family.
Wife’s Situation Matters
Even though the wife is educated, she is unable to work because she has to take care of their ill child full-time.
Expecting her to earn under such circumstances would be unfair.
Maintenance Amount Was Fair
The court found ₹34,000 reasonable.
It refused to reduce the amount (as the husband wanted) or increase it to ₹2,00,000 (as the wife wanted).
Penalty for Wasting Court’s Time
The husband was fined ₹10,000 for filing a “frivolous” (baseless) case just to avoid his duty.
Why This Judgment Is Important
Courts look at lifestyle, not just income shown on paper. If you own costly vehicles or property, you can’t claim poverty in court.
Children’s welfare comes first. Especially when kids have medical needs, courts will ensure proper support.
Maintenance is not charity. It is a legal duty of the husband.
Simple Takeaway
👉 You cannot enjoy luxuries like a Harley Davidson while denying financial support to your family.
👉 Courts will always side with the basic needs of wife and children over excuses of the earning spouse.
