Couple ordered to pay maintenance to aged parents

Thane, July 26: A senior citizens' maintenance/pension tribunal here in Maharashtra has directed a woman and her husband to pay a maintenance of Rs 3,000 per month to her aged parents, PTI reported.

The tribunal's presiding officer and Bhiwandi sub-divisional officer Dr Mohan Nadalkar passed the order on July 14 and a copy of it was made available on Saturday.

The elderly woman (age not mentioned in the order), a resident of Bhiwandi town in Thane district, had filed a petition before the tribunal against her daughter and son-in-law.

In her plea, the petitioner said her husband was mentally unstable and she had been working as a domestic help to sustain their livelihood.

The woman also said she bought a house in 2016 for Rs 5.30 lakh. But, her daughter, taking advantage that the petitioner was illiterate, allegedly got the house transferred in her name by forging documents.

The daughter and her husband later allegedly threatened the old parents and also tried to throw them out of the house, the petitioner said.

An offence was then registered against them with the Nizampura police in Bhiwandi and the elderly woman later approached the tribunal.

The tribunal, in keeping with directions of the Supreme Court and provisions of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, ordered payment of a monthly maintenance to the petitioner and her husband.

It also said there is a need to seek justice from civil court regarding the dispute on house purchase documents.

The tribunal directed the petitioner's daughter and son-in-law not to evict the parents from the house till the matter is decided by a civil court.

(PTI)