Woman entitled to maintenance despite marital discord: SC

New Delhi, Mar 22 (UNI) The Supreme Court has ruled that a woman is entitled to maintenance although she may have made the life of her husband miserable.

The apex court today directed the appellant husband to pay Rs twenty five lakhs as permanent maintenance to his wife while granting divorce to Naveen Kohli.

A bench comprising Mr Justice B N Agrawal, Mr Justice A K Mathur and Mr. Justice Dalveer Bhandari vide their judgment dated March 21, while holding that the respondent wife Neelu Kohli has resolved to live in agony only to make life wretched for the appellant as well, directed the husband to pay Rs 250,000 to his wife within 8 weeks failing which the direction given by the apex court would be of no avail and the appeal shall stand dismissed.

The respondent wife had filed as many as 17 cases against Naveen Kohli who was married to Neelu on 20 November,1975. Three sons were born out of the wedlock.

The petitioner constructed three factories and a bungalow for his sons.

According to the petitioner, she had withdrawn Rs 9.5 lakhs from his bank and deposited the same in her account. The couple had been living separately since May 1994.

The court, however, ordered that Rs 5 lakh already deposited by the appellant as per the trial court order, shall be adjusted along with interest and he will pay only the remaining Rs 20 lakh.

The Respondent also published in newspapers that Naveen was her manager.

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