Patna HC differentiates between 'Committing' and 'Living in adultery'
The Patna High Court just made it clear: a wife can't be denied maintenance for isolated acts of adultery—there has to be ongoing, proven misconduct.
This came up after Bulbul Khatoon was refused support by a family court, based on her husband's claims and a questionable divorce document that didn't even have her signature.
The High Court found the divorce invalid and said there was no solid proof she was "living in adultery."
Khatoon had been forced out over dowry demands
Khatoon's husband, Md. Shamshad, now has to pay her ₹2,000 per month from 2017 onward, plus revised support for their son.
The court also noted Khatoon had been forced out over dowry demands—backed up by an active police complaint against Shamshad.
Justice Jitendra Kumar summed it up: only continuous proof of adultery counts when deciding maintenance—not just one-off mistakes.