The High Court of Delhi on Thursday directed former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah to pay Rs 1.5 lakh as interim maintenance to his estranged wife Payal Abdullah.
On April 26, 2018, a trial court had ordered the National Conference President to pay interim maintenance of Rs 75,000 per month to Payal Abdullah and Rs 25,000 to their son.
The Single-Judge Bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad today enhanced the maintenance amount, directing Abdullah to Rs 1.5 lakh to his estranged wife and Rs 60,000 per month for the education of his son.
The High Court observed that though a father was not legally responsible for the college education of major children, Abdullah was still liable to pay Rs 60,000 for the education of his son.
The Single-Judge Bench passed the order on a petition filed by Payal Abdullah, challenging the trial court verdict, which ordered Omar Abdullah to pay Rs 75,000 per month to Payal.
The petitioner claimed that the maintenance awarded was too low and that her sons were not old enough to take care of their expenses.
Opposing the maintenance plea, the Counsel for the respondent apprised the High Court that his estranged wife was earning a significant income to lead a ‘lavish’ life and therefore, was not entitled to any maintenance.
He futher alleged that the petitioner had greater means than Omar, which Payal had tried to conceal.