The Supreme Court finalized a long-running divorce case by giving the wife a flat in Mumbai but rejecting her Rs 12 crore, BMW Car and luxury demands. The Court said earlier settlement was fair and enough.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India Yesterday (Aug 5) finally ended a long 8-year-old legal fight between a husband and his estranged wife.
The Court officially dissolved the marriage and allowed the wife to get a flat in Mumbai as alimony. However, the Court rejected her fresh demands for Rs 12 crore, a BMW car, and more compensation, calling these demands unreasonable.
This case became very popular after the wife had asked for Rs 12 crore and a flat in Mumbai as part of her divorce settlement.
On Tuesday, a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai along with Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria used their special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to give a final decision.
The Court said the relationship was beyond repair and had “irretrievably broken down.”
Here are the clear reasons why the Supreme Court refused to accept the wife’s new claims
No Alimony Claimed Earlier
In 2022, both husband and wife had signed a mutual settlement agreement. In that, the wife had agreed to take a flat in Mumbai along with two parking spots. At that time, she didn’t ask for Rs 12 crore or any extra maintenance money.
“As far as permanent alimony is concerned, the respondent had no such claim when entering into a settlement,”
-the Court said.
No Proof of Pressure or Fraud
Later, the wife claimed she was forced to sign the agreement and that it was not fair. But the Court found no proof for this and said her claims were without facts.
“The allegation of misrepresentation and fraud are blandly raised without any substantiation,”
-the top Court stated.
Wife is Educated and Working
The Court noted that the wife is well-educated and capable of earning. She is an Engineer and has a post-graduate degree in Management. She was also working when the couple got separated.
“The respondent-wife is also a graduate Engineer with a Post-Graduate qualification in Management and was admittedly working, even at the time of the estrangement,”
-the Court observed.
Mumbai Flat is Enough for Post-Divorce Life
The husband had agreed to give her a flat in Kalpataru Habitat, Mumbai, along with two car parking spots. The Court said this was a good and fair arrangement.
“The gift of the said property by the appellant to the respondent would reasonably take care of the respondent-wife even after divorce,”
-the Court said.
Husband Will Clear Rs 25.9 Lakh Dues
There were some unpaid dues (Rs 25.9 lakh) for the flat, and the husband promised to clear them. The Court accepted this commitment to make sure the wife won’t face any trouble staying in the flat.
“The appellant who was present before us in-person has agreed to pay up the entire maintenance charges as on date,”
-the Court recorded.
Husband’s Income Has Dropped
The man used to earn over Rs 2.5 crore every year while working at Citi Bank. But now, his income has fallen to less than Rs 18 lakh per year. He is no longer working at Citi Bank.
“We find absolutely no reason to disbelieve the appellant’s contention that he is no more in employment with Citi Bank,”
-the Court said.
LinkedIn is Not a Valid Proof of Income
The wife had shown the husband’s LinkedIn profile to argue that he was still earning a high income. But the Court said that was not proper proof.
“We refuse to place any reliance on the ‘LinkedIn’ profile,”
-the Bench clearly stated.
Extra Demands Are Unfair
The Court said the earlier agreement between the couple was fair. Asking for more money now would be too much, especially because the husband also has an autistic child to take care of.
“The terms of the settlement agreed upon according to us, does justice to the estranged wife and does not unduly burden the husband,”
-the Court said.
Along with finalizing the divorce, the Supreme Court also cancelled criminal charges filed under Sections 498A and 406 of IPC. The Court also said that neither party should file any more cases related to this marriage in the future.
The divorce will officially come into effect after the husband transfers the Mumbai flat to the wife and clears all the pending dues — this must be done by August 30.
CASE TITLE:
ANURAG VIJAYKUMAR GOEL VERSUS STATE OF MAHARASHTRA & ANR.
Criminal Appeal No. 5277 of 2024
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