HC asks banker to pay Rs 5 lakh maintenance to daughter

Considering financial constraints a girl child faces, the Bombay High Court has asked a bank officer to pay Rs five lakh as a lump sum maintenance to his daughter, who has been living with her mother after the couple's divorce 22 years ago.

"It cannot be denied that the appellant (girl) is now facing several difficulties in day-to-day life. The foremost amongst them is financial difficulty", said a division bench which recently granted her Rs five lakh maintenance towards education and marriage expenses.

The 28-year-old girl had filed an appeal against an order of a family court in Pune, which refused her maintenance on the ground that her father had already paid permanent alimony to his wife (and daughter) at the time of divorce.

Justices Naresh Patil and A R Joshi of the High Court, after interacting with the girl and parents, noted, "She is in the midst of completing her Chartered Accountancy course and requires substantial amount to pay by way of tuition fees. She narrated that there is nobody to take care of her basic needs. Her mother is not earning. They are at the mercy of relatives".

"She is 28-years-old and some arrangement is required to be made for her marriage. Even for arranging marriage, suitable qualifications are looked into so also her capacity to bear marriage expenses. She has no answers to these issues as she is practically penniless and just surviving in life", the bench further noted.

The girl pleaded that her parents got married on January 22, 1983, and she was born out of the wedlock on December 28, 1984. Unfortunately, her parents sought divorce and her permanent custody was given to her mother by the family court. Her mother got Rs 35,000 as permanent alimony for herself and Rs 20,000 as maintenance for her (daughter).