Kolkata: Calcutta High Court, on Tuesday, directed Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami to pay his estranged wife, Hasin Jahan, and daughter an interim alimony of Rs 4 lakh per month as maintenance during the ongoing legal battle over divorce.
This has come as a double whammy for the 34-year-old pacer who is also passing through a rough patch in his career. Many believe that Shami’s test career came to an end after he was left out of the squad for the ongoing series in England.
Jahan had moved the high court against a district sessions court’s 2023 order that directed the cricketer to pay Rs 50,000 to his wife and Rs 80,000 to their daughter.
“In my considered opinion, a sum of Rs 1,50,000 per month to the petitioner no.1 (wife) and Rs 2,50,000 to her daughter would be just, fair and reasonable to ensure financial stability for both the petitioners, till disposal of the main application,” Justice Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee observed.
“However as regards petitioner’s child the husband /opposite party No 2 will always be at liberty to voluntarily assist her with educational and/or other reasonable expenses, over and above the aforesaid amount,” the order added.
In March 2018, Jahan had lodged an FIR at the Jadavpur police station in Kolkata against Shami and his family, alleging “enormous physical and mental torture” under Section 12 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and “sustained indifference and neglect” for her minor daughter. This was four years after their marriage.
Besides domestic violence, she also accused Shami of dowry harassment and match-fixing while alleging that the pacer had stopped shouldering financial responsibility for running her family expenses. She had prayed for monetary relief, including an interim monetary relief of Rs 7 lakh per month for herself and an additional Rs 3 lakh for her daughter.
The magistrate, while disposing of her application, had initially rejected her prayer for monetary relief and directed the pacer a monthly payment of Rs 80,000 towards his minor daughter.
On appeal, the order was later modified, directing Shami to a monthly payment of Rs 50,000 to his wife and Rs 80,000 to his daughter.
“In view of materials placed before me and considering the elements for the determination of the quantum of maintenance as held in the salutary judgments, I am of the view that the quantum of interim monetary relief as fixed by the court below requires revision,” the high court order stated.
“The opposite party/husband’s income, financial disclosure and earnings established that he is in a position to pay a higher amount. The petitioner’s wife, who has remained unmarried and is living independently with the child, is entitled to a levelled maintenance that she enjoyed during her continuance of marriage and which reasonably secures her future as well as the future of the child,” it went on to add.
