Rajasekaran R K By

MADURAI: While confirming an order passed by a lower court ensuring monthly maintenance to a woman and her six-year-old child, the Madurai Bench of the Madras HC on Tuesday observed that “husband can work as a coolie or beg for feeding his wife and children”.

In his petition, Selvarajan of Srivilliputhur said he had separated from his wife Sri Rengasubathra of Kovilpatti. Based on a petition filed by Rengasubathra for claim of shared residence, compensation, maintenance and return of dowry, Kovilpatti Judicial Magistrate-I had directed him to pay `10,000 as rental, `10,000 as maintenance, `50,000 as compensation, and return dowry. Selvarajan challenged the order before the Thoothukudi Additional District Sessions Court, which in turn cancelled the house rental of `10,000 and reduced the compensation to `25,000, but confirmed rest of the order. An aggrieved Selvarajan then appealed before the HC Bench claiming that he, a BE graduate, was jobless.

When the petition came up for hearing, Justice B Devadass said. “It has been contended that the husband is jobless, but there is no concrete evidence. If the court accepts the contention, every husband will try to escape from moral and legal obligation to give maintenance. If the petitioner has no job, he can work as a coolie. There is no wrong in begging for feeding wife and children.”