The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently expressed its astonishment after a son challenged a lower court’s ruling that mandated he pay a maintenance amount of Rs 5,000 to his 77-year-old mother. Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri labeled the situation as an “example of Kalyug” and instructed the son to deposit Rs 50,000 in his mother’s name at the Sangrur Family Court within three months.
The court dismissed the son’s petition, affirming that the family court’s order was entirely lawful and described the maintenance amount of Rs 5,000 as inadequate. “This case exemplifies Kalyug and has shaken the conscience of this court. There is no illegality in the order… In fact, even Rs 5,000 was on the lower side,” the court remarked.
The court acknowledged that no additional request had been made by the mother to revise the maintenance amount. The mother, whose husband passed away in 1992, relies on her son and daughter for support. She had received 50 bighas of land after her husband’s death, and in 1993, she was awarded Rs 1 lakh in maintenance. Currently, she resides with her married daughter.
In his petition, the son contended that the maintenance order was invalid as the mother was not living with him. However, the mother’s advocate argued that she lacked any income and was reliant on her daughter’s support. The High Court characterized the situation as “unfortunate,” pointing out that the son had no valid grounds for the petition given his mother’s financial dependence.
“It deeply shocks this court that the son has initiated a petition against his own mother, despite inheriting his father’s property, while his 77-year-old mother has no income and depends on her married daughter,” concluded the court.
