Kerala HC rejects wife’s plea ‘Beggar cannot pay maintenance’

The Kerala High Court has observed that it cannot accept multiple marriages of a Muslim man when he has no capacity to maintain his wives, and one of them approaches the court claiming maintenance.

The observation was made by Justice P V Kunhikrishnan when a 39-year-old Perinthalmanna native approached the court seeking a monthly maintenance of Rs 10,000 from her husband, who



survives by begging.

Earlier, the petitioner had approached a Family Court, which dismissed her plea, stating that her 46-year-old husband from Kumbadi, Palakkad, who was surviving on begging, cannot be directed to pay maintenance.

The court, in a satirical manner, referred to a Malayalam phrase implying: “Don’t put your hand into a begging bowl”.