The Calcutta High Court has directed Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami to pay a monthly interim maintenance of ₹4 lakh to his estranged wife and their minor daughter, significantly enhancing the amount awarded by the lower courts.
Justice Dr Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee passed the order on Tuesday while hearing a plea filed by Shami’s wife challenging the sessions court’s earlier direction that awarded her ₹1.3 lakh as interim maintenance. The revised order now mandates Shami to pay ₹1.5 lakh per month to his wife and ₹2.5 lakh to his daughter.
“In my considered opinion, a sum of ₹1,50,000 per month to the petitioner no.1 (wife) and ₹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,” the Court stated. The amount is to be paid from the date of filing the application under Section 23 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence (PWDV) Act.
Shami, who married the petitioner in April 2014 and had a daughter with her in July 2015, was accused of domestic violence in 2018, leading to an FIR and legal proceedings. The wife, who has remained unmarried and is raising the child independently, initially sought ₹10 lakh per month as interim maintenance—₹7 lakh for herself and ₹3 lakh for their daughter.
The High Court noted that the trial court had earlier failed to provide a clear rationale for awarding a lower sum of ₹1.3 lakh, especially in light of Shami’s considerable income. The magistrate before that had granted ₹80,000 solely for the daughter and nothing for the wife.
“The opposite party/husband’s income, financial disclosure and earnings established that he is in a position to pay a higher amount,” Justice Mukherjee observed. “The petitioner 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 secure her future as well as future of the child.”
The Court also clarified that Shami is free to voluntarily contribute more toward his daughter’s education or other expenses if he wishes to.
Advocates Imtiaz Ahmed, Ghazala Firdaus, Sk Saidullah, Mithun Mondal, and Md Arsalan appeared for the wife, while Shami was represented by advocates Sandipan Ganguly, Sompriya Chowdhury, B Kumar, and I Basu.
The High Court further directed the trial court to expedite the decision on the main application filed under the PWDV Act.
