The Madhya Pradesh High Court held that a father’s obligation toward his daughters includes funding higher education and not merely providing basic maintenance. Stressing that women empowerment must be implemented in practice, the Court directed payment of Rs 46.26 lakh towards the daughters’ medical and engineering education expenses.
The Supreme Court dissolved a marriage under Article 142 of the Constitution, holding that the relationship had irretrievably broken down and was “dead for all practical purposes.” The Court set aside decisions of the Family Court and Andhra Pradesh High Court while directing a comprehensive financial settlement.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court held that a woman married during childhood cannot be denied reasonable maintenance, observing that she was victimised first by child marriage and later by being awarded a meagre maintenance amount. The Court emphasised the need to protect the rights and dignity of women.
The Supreme Court held that persistent refusal of sexual relations without reasonable cause constitutes mental cruelty and can be a valid ground for divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act. Upholding a Rajasthan High Court judgment, the Court dismissed a wife’s appeal challenging the dissolution of marriage.
The Kerala High Court held that persons with Down Syndrome are entitled to protections under the National Trust Act and ruled that guardianship applications cannot be rejected merely because the condition is not expressly mentioned in the statute, granting relief to a father seeking guardianship of his daughter.
The Allahabad High Court held that a mother’s alleged remarriage cannot defeat the independent statutory right of minor children to claim maintenance from their biological father, reaffirming that a father’s obligation to maintain his children continues regardless of matrimonial disputes or changes in the mother’s marital status.