Man told to pay Rs 7L to wife for wedding expenses of 3 daughters

Nagpur: Over 13 years after a couple separated, the Nagpur family court directed the 55-year-old man to pay Rs7 lakh to his former wife within two months for the wedding expenses of their three daughters. It includes Rs2 lakh for expenses of his eldest daughter which was performed on December 10, 2012, and Rs2.5 lakh each for other two daughters of marriageable age.
“The husband must celebrate marriages of daughters as per his own living standard. The prices of essential commodities have increased manifolds and substantive amount is required for marriage expenses. Considering all these aspects, grant of Rs2.5 lakh each to his remaining two daughters would meet the ends of justice,” judge Subhash Kafre ruled, while directing husband to deposit the amount with his 49-year-old wife.
The court, however, refused to link the husband’s retirement benefits and monthly pension to daughters’ marriage expenses, stating that it was not in his hands.
Prasanna and Renuka (names changed) got married on June 6, 1983, and the couple had three daughters during their time together. However, Prasanna allegedly used to abuse, thrash and ill-treat them under the influence of liquor. Renuka carried on their relationship for the sake of children all these years. Prasanna deserted them in 2002 without paying them anything. She then left the matrimonial home with daughters and started living with her elder sister.
The wife filed a case for maintenance and marriage expenses for their daughters with family court on February 7, 2012, contending that she had no means for survival. During pendency, Renuka married off her eldest daughter while borrowing money from sister. The court ruled in the wife’s favour on July 19 last year while asking husband to pay Rs13,000 maintenance to them date of filing of case. It consisted Rs5,000 to Renuka and Rs4,000 each to the two unmarried daughters. Prasanna was also asked to resume cohabitation with Renuka, which he never followed.
Renuka then filed another petition last year for the wedding expenses, arguing that Prasanna failed to discharge his responsibilities towards them. She demanded Rs5 lakh for elder daughter’s marriage and Rs8 lakh each for other two. She claimed that the husband is getting Rs40,000 per month salary, and is due for retirement in 2015 where he would be getting benefits of Rs35 lakh to Rs40 lakh, besides monthly pension.
The judge flayed the wife for giving inflated estimates of her elder daughter’s wedding, stating that it’s a matter of common knowledge that a general citizen spends for a marriage ceremony within his or her limits of financial resources.
Citing Section 3 of Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, the court held that it includes reasonable expenses of daughter’s marriage. “Till this date, the husband hadn’t made any provision for his daughters’ weddings. Since the wife wants to perform the weddings as per rituals and customs, he must pay Rs7 lakh to her within two months,” the court held.
What the court said
* Husband must celebrate weddings as per his own living standard
* Till date, husband hadn’t made provision for daughters’ weddings
* Husband should pay Rs2 lakh towards elder daughter’s wedding
* He will also pay Rs5 lakh for weddings of other two daughters
* His retirement benefits can’t be related to wedding expenses
(With inputs from Yash Manghnani)