CJI Gavai Urges Educated Woman Demanding ₹12 Crore onAlimy to Seek Employment. Chief Justice of India Bhushan R. Gavai, during a brief Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday, advised a highly Educated Woman to pursue work rather than demand hefty alimony. “You are so Educated Woman. You should not be asking for support—you should earn for yourself,” the CJI remarked, questioning her ₹12 crore alimony demand along with a flat and a BMW car after just 18 months of marriage.
In Hindi, he added: “Aap itni padhi-likhi hain. Aapko khudko maangna nahi chahiye, aur khud kama ke khana chahiye,” emphasizing the importance of financial independence among educated professionals.
The woman, an MBA graduate and former banker, sought a one-time settlement of ₹12 crore and a flat in Mumbai’s upscale Kalpataru complex, asserting her husband’s wealth as justification. She refuted his allegations of schizophrenia, asking the bench, “Do I look schizophrenic, my lords?”
The case involves a matrimonial dispute in which the husband sought annulment citing mental health concerns, while the woman filed for maintenance. The matter reached the Supreme Court following a prolonged legal battle.
CJI Questions Educated Woman’s “Why Don’t You Work in Bengaluru or Hyderabad?”
The bench, which also included Justices K. Vinod Chandran and N.V. Anjaria, expressed concern over the scale of the financial demands, especially given the short duration of the marriage. “You had a marriage for just 18 months… And now you also want a BMW? One crore for each month?” CJI Gavai asked.
He further questioned why the Educated Woman wasn’t willing to work despite her qualifications. “You’re an MBA, an IT professional—you’re in demand. Why don’t you work in Bengaluru or Hyderabad?” he said.
The Educated Woman countered that a contempt case filed by her husband for not proceeding with divorce might hurt her job prospects. The court responded that it could quash the case as part of a broader settlement.
Representing the husband, senior advocate Madhavi Divan argued that the demands were excessive. She noted that while the husband once earned over ₹2.5 crore annually with a ₹1 crore bonus, his income had since declined. Divan also pointed out that the woman already owned a flat with two parking spots and clarified that the BMW she requested was over a decade old and scrapped.
The bench made it clear the woman had no claim to her husband’s ancestral property. “You cannot claim the properties of his father,” it stated.
READ ALSO – Meet Priya Sachdev Kapur: Wife of Late Sunjay Kapur and Key Figure in ₹30,000 Crore Empire
In its closing remarks, the court presented a final offer: accept either a flat free of encumbrances or ₹4 crore and seek suitable employment. The quashing of the FIR was included in this proposed settlement. “Either you get a flat free of all encumbrance, or you take the ₹4 crore and find a good job,” the court said.
The court has reserved its order.
The couple married in 2015—both for the second time—but the relationship soured quickly. The woman filed an FIR under cruelty charges against her husband. His attempt to have the FIR quashed was dismissed by the Bombay High Court in November 2024, bringing the matter before the Supreme Court.
