MUMBAI: In a victory for Jaidev Shroff, global CEO of UPL Limited, in a high stakes matrimonial dispute with his estranged wife Poonam Shroff, Justice Ajay Gadkari of Bombay high court on Thursday dismissed Poonam's plea for monthly maintenance of Rs 1.3 crore.

Poonam Shroff had approached the HC in 2018, challenging a family court order that had granted her interim monthly maintenance of Rs 7 lakh, Rs 5 lakh for their child, and Rs 20 lakh as litigation cost to be paid by him. In December 2016, Poonam had moved the family court to seek a total interim monthly maintenance of Rs 1.6 crore and an additional Rs 30 lakh per month as litigation cost.

Jaidev's counsel Navroz Seervai, Vineet Naik along with advocate Sameer Tapia of ALMT, had sought a dismissal of her "inflated and excessive" demand last week and this week, and argued that under the Special Marriage Act (SMA), maintenance to the wife must take into account her own independent income, if any, and her ability to support herself.

In her petition, Poonam said that she "is not expected to give a break up of Rs 1.3 crore per month." Her counsels Rohit Kapadia and Mustafa Doctor in a rejoinder to Seervai's submission on Thursday argued that it was not possible to term the maintenance claim as "excessive", and said that the "ascertainment of amount needed for support depends upon the class, station and standard enjoyed in life during the time a couple stays together in a marriage."

Kapadia also argued that while a woman has been made to live and sustain a lifestyle, she ought to be maintained in a similar manner at least during the pendency of divorce proceedings. Jaidev Shroff had filed for divorce and the petition is pending before the Bandra family court.

Poonam's plea said the family court "proceeded on an erroneous basis that the earning of Jaidev is in the range of Rs 8 crore to Rs 13 crore per annum." His lawyers argued that a husband's lifestyle and income became relevant only when a wife, under SMA, did not have any or sufficient income to support herself, which in this matter was not the case.

After the hearing concluded, Justice Gadkari dismissed Poonam's petition and said reasons will follow.