'Men hide real income to avoid alimony'

A Delhi court has expressed concern over self-employed men involved in matrimonial discord cases not revealing their real income ahead of the fixation of maintenance for their estranged wives.

Metropolitan magistrate Priya Mahendra directed Dalbir, a farmer from Hamidpur in north Delhi, to pay a monthly maintenance of Rs 10,000 to his estranged wife and two minor daughters.

The court ruled that the real income of self-employed men involved in such cases never come to the surface.

Its ruling came after hearing that Dalbir's monthly earning was between Rs 6,000 to 7,000.

He told the court that he was a farmer and earned Rs 75,000 a year.

The court said it was unbelievable that a man having so many properties in Delhi had such less income.

"It is important to note that even the minimum wage for an unskilled person in the city is Rs 6,000 per month," said the court.

It considered the submission made by Dalbir's estranged wife that he owned many properties and earned around Rs eight to 10 lakh a year.

"The income of the respondent can be reasonably assessed as Rs 30,000 to 40,000 per month," added the court.