New Delhi: In a big ruling for a high-profile divorce, the Supreme Court turned down a woman’s huge alimony request of ₹12 crore, promising her a fair outcome. The judges made it clear that being fair doesn’t mean ruining the husband financially.
The couple was only married for a year and a half. The woman wanted ₹12 crore in cash and an apartment in a fancy Mumbai building. The court said the husband had to give her the apartment but said the cash demand was too much. The judges also suggested that the woman, who has an engineering degree and a business degree, should get a job to take care of herself.
What the Court Noted
The three-judge panel, led by Chief Justice B R Gavai, pointed out that the couple had agreed on a deal in 2022. This deal included giving her an apartment and two parking spots in Mumbai’s Kalpataru society. At that time, she didn’t ask for ₹12 crore or any extra support.
The court also didn’t believe the woman’s claims that the husband had committed fraud, saying she had no proof. The judges said, “You have an engineering degree and a business degree. You can definitely find a good job to support yourself.”
The court mentioned the husband had already agreed to give her the apartment as part of the deal, which she could keep after the divorce to live on. The husband also agreed to pay about ₹26 lakh in property fees.
Husband’s Finances
The court saw the husband’s income had gone down a lot. He used to make around ₹2.5 crore a year working for Citibank, but now he makes about ₹18 lakh a year. Because of this drop, the court didn’t think it was right for the woman to ask for ₹12 crore.
The woman used the husband’s LinkedIn page to say he still had a good job, but the court didn’t accept that as evidence, saying, “LinkedIn isn’t proof in this case.”
Being Fair To Both Sides
The judges repeated, “We’ll make sure you’re treated fairly, but we can’t make your ex-husband carry an unfair financial load.” The court also threw out the criminal charges against the husband for cruelty and breach of trust.