- (1.)The two plaintiffs who are the wife and minor daughter (now aged about 11 years) of the defendant, in this suit for recovery of maintenance under Sections 18 & 20 of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, seek interim maintenance @ Rs.5,00,000/- per month with effect from March, 2008 with escalation of 15% per annum and a residence for the plaintiffs or in lieu thereof a sum of Rs.2,50,000/- per month towards rent.
(2.)The counsel for the plaintiffs has argued that the defendant is the only legal heir of M/s. Ahluwalia Contractors, which business was started by the grandfather of the defendant and is now run by the father of the defendant; that M/s. Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Limited is a listed company and the defendant has a lavish lifestyle and thus interim maintenance be fixed at Rs.5,00,000/- per month as claimed.
(3.)Per contra, the senior counsel for the defendant has stated that the marriage between the plaintiff No.2 and the defendant was arranged not by the parents of the plaintiff No.2 and the defendant but was against the wishes of the parents of the plaintiff No.2 and the defendant; after the marriage, they were living separately from the parents of the defendant, in the colony of Jalvayu Vihar, Noida, U.P.; that it was only when the plaintiff No.2 became pregnant with plaintiff No.1 that the father of the defendant brought them to his own house; that the defendant is a whole time Director in M/s. Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Limited and at the time of marriage in the year 2001 had earnings of approximately Rs.6,00,000/- per annum from the said company and which now stand increased to Rs.13,00,000/- per annum. The senior counsel for the defendant has offered to pay interim maintenance @ Rs.50,000/- per month, besides bearing the expenses of school fees, books, uniform etc. of the plaintiff No.1. On persuasion, he has also consented to bear the medical expenses of the plaintiffs by taking out an insurance policy therefor in the sum of Rs.5,00,000/- annually.