NEW DELHI: The Karnataka high court has reduced the permanent alimony awarded to a woman from Rs 2 crore to Rs 50 lakh, while directing her former husband to pay Rs 50,000 a month for their two children. The court upheld the divorce, finding that the marriage had broken down and the wife had established cruelty. The judgment was delivered on August 24, 2026.Why did the woman seek divorce?According to the court order, the couple, who were college mates, married in Mangaluru in 2011 and later moved to the United Kingdom. They have two daughters. The wife alleged physical and mental cruelty, including physical assaults, controlling behaviour, opposition to her career and higher education, abusive conduct and hostility towards her parents.She also alleged that her husband repeatedly accused her of suffering from mental illness. The husband denied the allegations and said he had supported her education and career. He also claimed that she had emotional and psychological difficulties and had left the matrimonial home on her own.The family court relied substantially on WhatsApp conversations between the couple. It found that some messages showed the husband’s admissions of physical assault and expressions of regret. It also held that allegations about the wife’s mental health, when unsupported by proper medical evidence, amounted to mental cruelty.The family court granted divorce and awarded Rs 2 crore as permanent alimony. It also directed the husband to pay Rs 25,000 per month towards the maintenance of the two children, with an enhancement of Rs 5,000 every two years.What did the high court observed?The bench of Justice D K Singh and Justice H Shanthi Bhushan said the evidence had to be assessed by looking at the marriage as a whole rather than individual incidents. It noted that the couple had undergone counselling and resumed their relationship for a period, but their disputes continued.“The evidence has to be considered not by isolating individual incidents, but by looking at the matrimonial relationship as a whole and the cumulative effect of the conduct of the parties,” the court said.The bench said the later conduct of the parties showed that their relationship had deteriorated despite attempts at reconciliation.“The material on record discloses that the disputes did not end with the earlier reconciliation,” it added.The court also noted that the matrimonial dispute had spread across India and the UK and involved prolonged litigation concerning their marriage and children.“A marriage is expected to provide companionship, trust and emotional security; it cannot be reduced to a continuing source of litigation, allegations and counter-allegations,” the court noted.The high court said permanent alimony should provide reasonable financial security and should not amount to equalising the wealth of the parties. It noted that the woman was a qualified medical professional with an independent income and financial assets.The court also considered the husband’s income, assets, liabilities, financial commitments and responsibility towards the children and his aged parents.It ultimately reduced the permanent alimony from Rs 2 crore to Rs 50 lakh. The amount has to be paid within three months, failing which it will carry 6 percent annual interest from the date of decree until payment.The husband was directed to pay Rs 25,000 per month for each child, totalling Rs 50,000 per month, towards their maintenance, education, medical and other reasonable needs. The amount will increase by Rs 5,000 per month for each child every year until they attain majority.The court also granted the mother exclusive physical custody, while allowing the father visitation on Saturdays and Sundays for three hours each day in the mother’s presence. It directed both parents to ensure that the children maintain a healthy relationship with both of them.
