PRATIBHA SINGH Vs. VINEET KUMAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is before this Court seeking modification of order dtd. 26/8/2022 passed by the I Additional Principal Judge, Family Court at Bangalore in M.C.No.3726 of 2019 granting interim maintenance to the petitioner/wife at Rs.15,000.00 and litigation expenses at Rs.50,000.00 for enhancement of the same to Rs.1,50,000.00 per month as interim maintenance and Rs.

(2.) ,00,000/- as one time litigation expenses. 2. Brief facts that leads the petitioner to this Court in the subject petition, as borne out from the pleadings, are as follows:- The petitioner is the wife and the respondent, her husband. The two get married on 22/4/2016. On several allegations, it appears that after about six months of marriage the wife leaves the matrimonial house and begins to reside in her parental house. Long after the alleged separation, the respondent/husband registers a petition seeking annulment of marriage in M.C.No.3726 of 2019 under Sec. 13(1)(ia) & (ib) of the Hindu Marriage Act , 1955 ('the Act' for short). The petitioner, upto the month of May 2020 claims that she was working and earning a salary of Rs.35,000.00 and due to onset of Covid-19 she was laid off and had no avocation to maintain herself. Therefore, she files an application before the concerned Court invoking Sec. 24 of the Act seeking interim maintenance at Rs.1,50,000.00 per month and one time litigation expenses at Rs.2,00,000.00. The concerned Court by its order dtd. 26/8/2022 passes an order directing payment of interim maintenance at Rs.15,0000.00 and one time litigation expenses at Rs.50,000.00. It is this order that drives the wife to this Court seeking enhancement of maintenance on the ground that it is too meager to maintain herself.

(3.) Heard Smt.Jayna Kothari, learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioner and Sri Udaya Holla, learned senior counsel appearing for the respondent.