Wife’s love for another man not adultery without physical relationship: Madhya Pradesh High Court

The court was hearing a revision petition moved by the husband against a family court’s order directing him to pay an interim maintenance of Rs 4,000 to his wife.

“Even if a wife is having love and affection towards somebody else without any physical relations, then that by itself cannot be sufficient to hold that the wife is living in adultery,” the court said.

Further, the court observed, “Meager income of the husband cannot be a criteria to deny maintenance. If the applicant has married a girl knowing fully well that he is not competent to even fulfil his own daily needs, then for that, he himself is responsible but if he is an able bodied person then he has to earn something to maintain his wife or to pay the maintenance amount.”