Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Jharkhand HC orders Rs 30 lakh alimony from RPF constable
A man and a woman got married in India in 2013.
They had a little boy together.
Later, the man wanted a divorce because he said they did not get along.
A smaller court gave them the divorce in 2018.
The man then married another woman.
The first wife said she needed money to take care of herself and their son.
So a very important court, called the Jharkhand High Court, looked at the case.
The court said the man must give his first wife and son 30 lakh rupees as a one-time payment.
That is a very big amount of money, and the court also said he must pay back another 17 lakh rupees he owed.
Now the first wife and her son can live comfortably, just like before the divorce.
The Jharkhand High Court ordered an RPF constable to pay Rs 30 lakh as one-time permanent alimony to his divorced wife and their son.
The bench of Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad and Sanjay Prasad delivered the order on August 6.
The couple married on July 14, 2013, had a son on April 8, 2015, and the family court granted divorce on January 29, 2018, on grounds of cruelty.
The court said there is no fixed formula for permanent alimony, which must be fair, reasonable and match the husband's income, the wife's needs and the marital standard of living.
The court said the constable must separately clear maintenance arrears of about Rs 17 lakh and declared the son's inheritance rights remain unaffected.
- Who
- An RPF constable, his divorced wife and their son, and the Jharkhand High Court bench of Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad and Sanjay Prasad.
- What
- The court ordered the constable to pay Rs 30 lakh as one-time permanent alimony to his ex-wife and their son, and to clear maintenance arrears of about Rs 17 lakh separately.
- When
- The order was delivered on August 6; the couple married on July 14, 2013, and divorce was granted on January 29, 2018.
- Where
- Jharkhand High Court, Jharkhand, India.
- Why
- To ensure financial security for the wife and son consistent with the standard of living they enjoyed during the marriage, given the husband's income and status.
Wife's position
Husband's position
Alimony amount
Wife's position
The wife has no independent means to support herself and the 11-year-old son, spends about Rs 25,000 per month on basic needs and education, and received no financial support for nearly 10 years, so she sought substantial permanent alimony.
Husband's position
The husband has several dependants - his parents, second wife and three unemployed younger brothers - and monthly expenses of around Rs 70,000-73,000 against a gross salary of Rs 1.06 lakh, leaving limited disposable income.
Grounds for divorce
Wife's position
The wife challenged the divorce decree, which was granted without her filing a written statement, and sought permanent alimony in the appeal.
Husband's position
The husband alleged the wife repeatedly left the matrimonial home, quarrelled with him and his family, and threatened to frame them in false cases, claiming cruelty under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act.
- Court
- Jharkhand High Court
- Bench
- Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad and Sanjay Prasad
- Alimony ordered
- Rs 30 lakh one-time permanent alimony
- Husband's employer
- Railway Protection Force (RPF)
- Son born
- April 8, 2015
- Divorce granted
- January 29, 2018
- Gross monthly salary
- Rs 1.06 lakh
- Maintenance arrears
- About Rs 17.55 lakh; Rs 45,000 paid by husband