The Supreme Court of India on Friday, 10 April 2026, declined to grant divorce to a 54-year-old man who has been paying ₹15,000 per month as maintenance to his estranged wife for the past 16 years, and instead asked him to come forward with a reasonable proposal for permanent alimony, as reported in Times of India.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the petitioner that his plea for divorce could only be considered if he indicated what he was willing to offer as permanent alimony.
During the hearing, the petitioner argued that even ₹15,000 was a significant burden on his monthly income of ₹65,000. Responding to this contention, the Bench remarked, “Rs 15,000 is hardly anything these days…If you came up with an offer for permanent alimony we could have still considered (granting divorce)…(Else) Shaanti se baitho, dete raho 15,000, khush raho”.
The Court was hearing the man’s challenge to an earlier order of a high court that had dismissed his plea for divorce.
The Bench also questioned why the couple could not resume cohabitation. “Keep your wife with you. What is the problem?” the Court asked during the proceedings.
Appearing for the petitioner, counsel submitted that the couple had been living separately for nearly 16 years and that multiple attempts at mediation had failed due to continuing differences between them. However, the Court noted that the only ground of cruelty cited by the petitioner was his wife’s insistence on accompanying him wherever he was posted.
Counsel for the wife informed the Court that she was not seeking permanent alimony and was willing to resume living with her husband.
The matter came up before the apex court following the petitioner’s appeal against the high court’s refusal to grant divorce, with the Bench indicating that any reconsideration of the plea would depend on a concrete proposal regarding permanent alimony.
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