Today, On 7th November, Supreme Court sought a reply from cricketer Mohammed Shami on his wife Hasin Jahan’s plea seeking Rs.10 lakh monthly maintenance, after she moved the apex court claiming financial deprivation despite his income from cricket and endorsements.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court requested responses from Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami and the West Bengal government regarding a petition filed by his estranged wife, Hasin Jahan.
She is seeking an increase in the maintenance awarded to her and their minor daughter.
Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice to Shami and the State while considering Jahan’s Special Leave Petition (SLP) under Article 136 of the Constitution.
This petition challenges the Calcutta High Court’s orders from July 1 and August 25, 2025, which set the interim maintenance at a total of Rs.4 lakh monthly Rs.1.5 lakh for Jahan and Rs.2.5 lakh for their daughter.
During the hearing, the Bench noted that the amount granted by the High Court seemed “quite handsome” for interim maintenance.
However, Jahan argues that this sum is grossly insufficient given Shami’s “lavish lifestyle and enormous income,” which she claims exceeds Rs.1 crore per month from cricket contracts, brand endorsements, and the Indian Premier League.
In her petition, represented by Advocate Deepak Prakash, Jahan asserts that despite Shami’s significant earnings, nearly Rs.1 crore monthly and an estimated net worth over Rs.500 crore, she and her child have been forced into “financial deprivation.”
She describes Shami as living a “lavish lifestyle” while they struggle.
Calling the order “grossly inadequate and unjust,” she argues that the lower courts failed to consider the respondent’s “enormous wealth, social standing, and standard of living.”
The petition highlights that Shami is an “A-listed national cricketer” who has represented India in international competitions and remains among the highest-paid athletes in the country. In the financial year 2021–22, he reportedly declared an income of Rs.47.99 crore, with personal monthly expenses exceeding Rs.1.08 crore.
Jahan claims she has been unemployed since their marriage and relies entirely on the maintenance for her and her daughter’s needs. She alleges that Shami’s refusal to provide adequate maintenance is intentional, aimed at humiliating and financially exhausting her and their child.
Additionally, she accuses the cricketer of trying to avoid his “lawful liability” through strategic asset and expense management while maintaining a luxurious lifestyle, which includes high-end vehicles, foreign travel, real estate investments, and significant charitable contributions.
The plea states,
“While he openly donates several crores for social causes, he denies his own family the financial security and dignity they are entitled to.”
Jahan further asserts that their child’s education and well-being have suffered, as she has been forced to attend a modest local school, unlike peers from similarly affluent families who receive premium education.
The petition also details a history of domestic violence and cruelty leading to the marriage’s breakdown. An FIR (No. 82/2018) has been registered at Jadavpur Police Station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. Jahan argues that this case reflects a “pattern of abuse and neglect that continues through economic deprivation.”
Citing landmark rulings like Bhuwan Mohan Singh v. Meena (2014) and Rajnesh v. Neha (2020), she contends that the right to maintenance is a crucial aspect of Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to live with dignity.
She maintains that a wife should enjoy a lifestyle comparable to her husband’s, particularly when he has substantial means.
Also Read: Mohammed Shami DV Case: SC Orders Sessions Court To Decide In One Month
The petition urges the Supreme Court to raise the interim maintenance to a just, reasonable, and equitable amount that accurately reflects Shami’s income and financial capacity.
The plea emphasizes,
“The objective of maintenance law is not charity but justice, to ensure that a wife and child are not left destitute while the husband lives in opulence,”
The matter is expected to be heard by a Supreme Court Bench in the coming days.
Shami wed the petitioner, Hasin Jahan, in April 2014, and they welcomed a daughter in July 2015. This was Jahan’s second marriage, as she has two daughters from her previous union.
In 2018, she accused the cricketer of domestic violence, leading to the registration of an FIR against him.
Subsequently, Jahan filed an application with the magistrate under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDV Act), requesting interim maintenance of Rs.10 lakh—Rs.7 lakh for herself and Rs.3 lakh for her daughter. She is now seeking the same amount before the Supreme Court.
Case Title: X v. State of West Bengal & Anr.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
