NRI asked to pay alimony to wife in India

New Delhi: A non-resident Indian has been asked by a Delhi court to pay an alimony of Rs 33,000 a month to his estranged wife living in New Delhi.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ila Rawat ordered Puneet Arora, residing in Canada with his parents and sister, to pay maintenance to his wife from January 2010 when she had moved the court for the alimony.

The sessions court's order came on the woman's plea for modification of a magisterial court order, which had allowed her an alimony of Rs 33,000 a month but had slated the date of its payment from August 5, 2011, the day the trial court had given its ruling.

"The respondent no. 1 (Puneet) is directed to pay Rs 33,000 per month towards maintenance and for rent amount to his wife (the petitioner) from the date of filing the application," said ASJ Rawat, slating the 10th day of every month as the date for payment of the alimony.

In her plea, the woman had said she was married to Puneet on September 15, 2009 with her parent giving sufficient dowry to him as per his family's demand.

She said Puneet left for Canada after a fortnight of his marriage and when she joined him after five months after grant of visa, she was not treated properly and was not given the status of wife.

She said her in-laws and husband threatened, harassed, tortured, taunted and even beat her up despite receiving ample amount of dowry from her parents.

She also alleged that her husband was having an extra marital affair with a divorced woman in Canada and with whom she had seen him in objectionable position.

Ultimately, she was forced to leave Canada on December 7, 2009 and took shelter at her parental home in India without any monetary help from her husband for her maintenance and day to day expenses, she said.