NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ruled that a woman who is employed, holds the same professional standing as her husband, and is financially independent is not entitled to maintenance from her estranged spouse.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed the maintenance plea of a woman employed as an assistant professor. “Both the petitioner and the respondent (husband and wife) hold the same position of Assistant Professor. No grounds for interference are made out under our jurisdiction as per Article 136 of the Constitution of India. Accordingly, the special leave petition stands dismissed,” the court stated in its order.
The wife had sought financial support, arguing that her husband earned more and was obligated to provide maintenance. However, her estranged husband contested the claim, stating that she was capable of sustaining herself. Advocate Shashank Singh, representing the husband, informed the court that she earned approximately ₹60,000 per month and held the same professional status as her husband.
Despite this, the wife maintained that her qualifications and income should not automatically exempt her husband from his duty to provide financial assistance. She further stated that her husband earned around ₹1 lakh per month, significantly more than her salary. Given the conflicting claims regarding their earnings, the court directed both parties to submit their salary slips for the past year.
The wife had approached the Supreme Court after both the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the trial court rejected her plea for maintenance. With this ruling, the Supreme Court reinforced the principle that when both spouses are financially independent and hold similar positions, maintenance claims may not always be justified.
