The Allahabad High Court had an unusual comment reserved for an elderly couple fighting a legal battle over maintenance for six years now. Observing that this was a matter of concern, the court said it seemed that ‘kalyug’ (the age of downfall as per Hinduism) has arrived.
The comments were made as Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery was hearing the petition of Aligarh resident Munish Kumar Gupta (80) against a family court order in favour of his wife, 76-year-old Gayatri Devi.
Gayatri Devi had demanded maintenance from Gupta, who had retired as a supervisor from the health department, & the family court had ruled in her favour. The man challenged the order and, while issuing a notice to the woman, the court said it was hopeful of an agreement between the couple by the next hearing. Justice Shamshery even tried to advise the two.
On February 16, a family court given its verdict in the maintenance battle, stemming from a property dispute involving the couple’s sons in 2018. Judge Jyoti Singh had ordered that the husband should give Rs 5,000 per month as alimony.
Gupta had a fight with his wife over property & the matter reached the police as well. The couple was sent to a family counselling centre, but in vain. Following this, the two started living separately.
Then, Gayatri filed a petition before a family court in 2018, demanding Rs 15,000 per month as alimony. She said her husband received a pension of Rs 35,000 and, in such a situation, she should at least get Rs 15,000 for her livelihood. But, the court in its order asked the man to pay only Rs 5,000 per month as alimony.