SC Rejects ₹12 Cr Alimony, Cites LinkedIn as Unreliable Income Proof; Grants Wife Flat in Mumbai
In a significant ruling bringing closure to an eight-year-long matrimonial dispute, the Supreme Court of India on Monday dissolved the marriage of a couple by mutual consent, rejecting the wife’s demand of ₹12 crore in alimony and a BMW, and instead granting her a prime apartment in Mumbai as a final settlement.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices K Vinod Chandran, and NV Anjaria, invoked its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, stating that the marriage had irretrievably broken down.
The Court made it clear that the wife’s fresh demands were “disproportionate and unsupported,” especially considering that a comprehensive mutual settlement had already been signed in 2022, under which she had accepted the Mumbai flat and two car parking spaces.
“As far as permanent alimony is concerned, the respondent had no such claim when entering into a settlement,” the bench noted, rejecting the wife’s subsequent claim of ₹12 crore.
Key Observations from the Judgment:
- No Claim of Alimony in Earlier Agreement:
The wife had entered into a detailed mutual consent settlement in 2022 with no mention of permanent alimony. Her fresh claims were found inconsistent with that agreement. - Allegations of Coercion Unproven:
The Court rejected the wife’s claims of signing the settlement under duress, stating,“The allegation of misrepresentation and fraud are blandly raised without any substantiation.” - Highly Qualified and Employed:
Citing her background, the Court observed:“The respondent-wife is also a graduate Engineer with a Post-Graduate qualification in Management and was admittedly working, even at the time of the estrangement.” - Mumbai Apartment a Reasonable Settlement:
The husband had gifted her a luxury flat in Kalpataru Habitat, Mumbai, along with two car parks.“The gift of the said property… would reasonably take care of the respondent-wife even after divorce,”the bench remarked. - Housing Dues Cleared by Husband:
The Court recorded the husband’s personal undertaking to pay ₹25.9 lakh in housing society dues to prevent eviction, noting:“The appellant… has agreed to pay up the entire maintenance charges as on date.” - Sharp Decline in Husband’s Income:
From once earning over ₹2.5 crore at Citibank, the husband’s income had dropped below ₹18 lakh per year. The Court accepted that he was no longer employed by the bank. - LinkedIn Not a Reliable Proof of Employment:
The wife had cited his LinkedIn profile to allege continued high earnings. The Court dismissed this, stating:“We refuse to place any reliance on the ‘LinkedIn’ profile.” - No Further Legal Action Permitted:
The judgment also quashed criminal proceedings filed under Sections 498A and 406 IPC and barred either party from initiating any further litigation regarding the marriage. - Fresh Demands Unjustified:
The Court concluded that the original settlement was fair, observing:“The terms of the settlement… do justice to the estranged wife and do not unduly burden the husband.”
With this verdict, the Court ordered that the divorce will be effective once the flat is formally gifted and all dues are cleared by August 30, 2025.
Case: Anurag Goel vs State of Maharashtra – Available on LAWFYI.IO
