Manager with ₹1.5 lakh salary calls himself peon:Tries to avoid paying wife allowance; court asks to pay ₹16,000 monthly

A husband’s attempt to take advantage of the blindfold on the eyes of the law has proven costly. To avoid paying maintenance allowance to his wife, he told the court he was a bank peon, whereas he was an Assistant Manager at the bank. He wove such a web of poverty and helplessness that anyone would believe his words for a moment. This lie of his was exposed by information obtained through the Right to Information. His monthly salary was one and a half lakh rupees. He owned luxurious houses. Based on this information, the Family Court of Indore delivered a historic and precedent-setting judgment in this case. The court did not order the husband, but directly ordered the bank to deduct ₹16,000 every month from its manager’s salary and deposit it into his wife’s bank account. Read the full report Said in court – I am just a peon, sir This is the story of 31-year-old Kamini, a resident of Indore, and her 32-year-old husband Suraj (both names changed). Suraj is currently working in the position of [manager/officer – implied from later text] at the Bank of India branch in Kasarawad, Khargone district. They got married approximately eight years ago, but over time, their relationship became so bitter that the matter reached the court. When wife Kamini exercised her legal right and approached the court for maintenance, the manager husband prepared a well-thought-out script to hide his true identity. He submitted an affidavit to the court, stating, ‘Your Honor, I am just a peon in the bank. My monthly income is barely 15 to 20 thousand rupees.’ He argued, lamenting his ‘pitiable’ financial situation, that he could barely make ends meet with this meager salary. He presented himself as a helpless and destitute husband, citing the responsibility of his elderly parents, their medical expenses, the rented room, and his own medical bills. RTI Exposed the Manager Kamini and her lawyer, Advocate K.P. Maheshwari, did not believe Suraj’s sorrowful story. They suspected that not just something was fishy, but the whole situation was rotten. To bring out the truth, they decided to use the Right to Information (RTI) Act. They requested information regarding Suraj’s Income Tax Returns (ITR) and documents related to his salary from the bank. In just a few weeks, the documents that emerged exposed Sooraj’s lies. All four of his lies were revealed. Used influence to return court warrants
Advocate Maheshwari stated that at the beginning of the case, the court, considering the circumstances, ordered an interim maintenance of 8,000 rupees per month, but Suraj did not give a single penny to his wife in the last four years. When the outstanding maintenance amount reached lakhs, the court issued recovery warrants for non-compliance with the law. Here too, the manager husband heavily misused his position and influence. As soon as the court’s warrant reached his bank branch in Kasrawad, he would use his influence to send it back without being served. This continued not just once, but many times. Court’s Decision – Bank will directly deduct salary
When legal weapons like warrants also proved ineffective against the manager’s influence, the wife, exhausted, made a final plea to the court. She requested that the maintenance amount be directly deducted from her husband’s salary so that she wouldn’t have to visit the bank and court every month. On this, the Family Court took an unprecedented and strict step, which makes this case historic. The court has sent an order for a deduction of 16,000 rupees per month, combining past arrears and regular maintenance, directly to the Kasarawad branch of Bank of India. The court has clearly stated in its order that it will now be the bank’s responsibility to deduct this amount from Manager Suraj’s salary every month and transfer it directly to his wife Kamini’s bank account. Sought divorce by defaming wife’s character
Another aspect of this case exposes the husband’s malicious intent. To completely get rid of his wife, Suraj had also filed a divorce case. In this, he had made very serious and petty allegations against his wife’s character. The husband had claimed that his wife’s character was not good and that she celebrated her birthday with her lover in a hotel in Indore. He also presented some photos and videos as evidence, which ironically were made by a friend of the wife, but when the matter was thoroughly investigated in court, these allegations also collapsed like a house of cards. The investigation made it clear that the wife had celebrated her birthday with her family and the one who sent her to Indore was none other than her husband Suraj himself. The wife also told the court that one day when the husband returned home late at night, upon being asked, he admitted that he was coming after meeting his female friend ‘Ankita’, with whom he had physical relations even before marriage. However, the husband completely denied these allegations. Wife wants to live together, husband is not obeying the court order
On one hand, where the husband wanted a divorce at any cost by making false accusations, on the other hand, Kamini, a policeman’s daughter, made every possible effort to save her relationship. She filed a case under Section-9 of the Hindu Marriage Act (Restitution of Conjugal Rights), which means ‘right to live together’. The court also ruled in Kamini’s favor in this case and issued a decree. The court ordered the husband to take his wife home with full respect and live with her like a husband. But, the manager husband is still so stubborn that he is openly defying this legal order and is not ready to keep his wife with him. Advocate said – This decision is also a lesson for others Advocate K.P. Maheshwari says that this case is an example for all those who try to mislead the court and keep the law in their pocket by using their position, money, and influence. The bank manager not only defrauded his wife, but he also tried to make a crude joke with India’s justice system.