© indiatoday.in'Strict Provisions For Women's Welfare': Supreme Court Warns Against Misuse of Marriage Laws
The Supreme Court on Thursday underscored that laws enacted for the welfare of women should not be misused as instruments of harassment, intimidation, or extortion against their husbands. The top court stressed that alimony is not meant to equalise the financial status of ex-spouses but rather to provide the dependent woman with a reasonable standard of living.
The Supreme Court's observations came amid the massive outrage of a techie, Atul Subhas, who alleged that his estranged wife and her family demanded Rs 2 lakh in monthly maintenance, later increasing it to an annual amount of Rs 3 crore.
The court ruled that an ex-husband cannot be obligated to support his ex-wife indefinitely based on his current financial status. It also observed that a Hindu marriage was considered to be a sacred institution, as a foundation for a family and not a "commercial venture".