The Supreme Court has reduced a wife's alimony demand from 20 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, observing that her claim was excessive in light of her husband's modest earnings as a Zomato delivery worker.
The ruling, delivered by a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan, came after the court examined the financial circumstances of the couple, whose marriage had lasted barely a year, reported Live Law.
During the hearing, the wife, a graduate, told the bench, "Sir ye Zomato main kaam nahi krte hai, mujhe aage padhai krni hai," explaining that she wanted to pursue further studies.
Justice Pardiwala replied, "Dekhiye, ye saudabazi achi nahi. Ek saal main shaadi khatam hogyi," questioning the logic of seeking such a high settlement from a man earning between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 a month.
Taking into account the husband's limited means and his family responsibilities, the bench fixed Rs 8 lakh as the lump-sum settlement.
The case, registered as 2024 INSC 961, reflects the Supreme Court's continuing effort to ensure fairness and consistency in alimony rulings under Section 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act.
The bench drew upon the Court's December 2024 guidelines, which stress that decisions on permanent alimony must consider the financial status of both parties, their reasonable needs, and the capacity to pay, while avoiding any attempt to equalise wealth between spouses.
In its judgment, the Court reiterated that the primary objective of granting permanent alimony is to ensure that a dependent spouse is not left without support.