In a significant ruling, the Jodhpur Family Court has denied a married woman, living in a live-in relationship, the right to maintenance from her husband. Presiding over the case, Family Court No. 3 Judge Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit rejected the woman’s plea for financial support, stating there was conclusive evidence that her expenses were being borne by another man.
The case came to light when the woman, a resident of Soonthala in Jodhpur, filed a complaint of domestic violence. She claimed to have been living separately from her husband for a long time. Her husband, a wholesaler from Kuchera with a substantial monthly income of approximately ₹1.25 lakh, was asked to pay ₹30,000 in monthly maintenance.
However, Hemant Baweja, the husband’s lawyer, argued that the wife, without obtaining a divorce, was cohabitating with another man in a live-in arrangement. The court was informed that both the woman and her daughter’s expenses were fully covered by her live-in partner. This was confirmed in a statement she provided to the Dausa SP, which led to police identifying her relationship with a man under Section 494 of the IPC.
In her defense, the woman stated she was financially dependent on her paternal family, which could not support her indefinitely due to their economic conditions. She expressed her desire not to be a prolonged burden on her family and requested interim maintenance from her husband.
