The Bombay High Court has imposed a significant fine of Rs 1 lakh on a software engineer for his attempts to avoid paying maintenance to his estranged wife and minor daughter. The engineer claimed that his income had drastically fallen from Rs 5.5 lakh per month to Rs 20,000 due to the impact of an accident, a claim the court deemed “unbelievable.”
Justice Madhav Jamdar expressed skepticism regarding the engineer’s assertions, highlighting that it was hard to accept a transition from an annual salary of Rs 65,00,000 to just Rs 20,000 monthly. The court also noted that his matrimonial profile indicated an annual income between Rs 35 to 50 lakh, contradicting his claims of financial hardship.
The engineer, who filed for divorce in 2020 after marrying in April 2016 and welcoming a daughter a year later, alleged job loss following an accident in 2021. However, the court noted that this accident was not referenced in his earlier applications, raising questions about the credibility of his statements.
In his petition to modify an earlier order requiring him to pay Rs 30,000 monthly for maintenance, he did not mention the accident until much later. Evidence presented by the wife’s lawyer showed the engineer transferring substantial amounts to family members, indicating he was in better financial shape than claimed.
Considering the evidence and arguments from both sides, the court criticized the engineer’s conduct, asserting that a case rooted in deceit has no legitimacy in the courtroom. The court has ordered the engineer to pay the fine of Rs 1 lakh to his wife within four weeks.
