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Punjab and Haryana High Court
Decided on: 28.11.2015

A. Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (25 of 1955), Section 24 -- Maintenance to wife -- Award of maintenance is in order to avoid destitution and vagrancy of wife -- Wife has also right to live her life in consonance with the status of the husband, though she is not entitled to make profit out of it so as to live in luxury and impede any future re-conciliation.

(Para 6)

B. Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (25 of 1955), Section 24 -- Maintenance pendentlite to wife/children -- At the stage of awarding maintenance in terms of Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act, some guess work is also required to be done in addition to the evidence -- Evidently, the petitioner has come forward to say that his total earnings are Rs.45,972.42, however deductions to the tune of Rs.6,818.50 – Respondent-wife has nothing to do with the deductions -- There are some other channels of income like immovable property and other vocations of life in which monetary benefit may accrue to the petitioner -- Keeping in view the rising price index of these days and the age of the minor daughter and her studying prospects in good school, amount of Rs.20,000/- towards maintenance pendente lite and Rs.2200/- towards litigation expenses cannot be held to be on higher side -- Even if it is admitted that wife is also earning something that per se does not entitle the petitioner-husband to deny the status of living to the wife as well as minor child by parting only Rs.20,000/- from his total emoluments.

(Para 7-9)

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