{"id":22193,"date":"2026-04-18T10:04:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T10:04:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=22193"},"modified":"2026-04-18T10:07:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T10:07:32","slug":"divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Divorce Granted To Husband On Ground Of Desertion By Wife, Yet He Remains Liable To Pay Maintenance U\/S 125 CrPC: Orissa High Court"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"wife-leaves-within-weeks-of-marriage\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wife_Leaves_Within_Weeks_Of_Marriage_Husband_Gets_Divorce%E2%80%94Still_Has_To_Pay_Maintenance\"><\/span>Wife Leaves Within Weeks Of Marriage, Husband Gets Divorce\u2014Still Has To Pay Maintenance?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Does law ignore fault and continue financial liability even after desertion is proved?<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Wife_Leaves_Within_Weeks_Of_Marriage_Husband_Gets_Divorce%E2%80%94Still_Has_To_Pay_Maintenance\" >Wife Leaves Within Weeks Of Marriage, Husband Gets Divorce\u2014Still Has To Pay Maintenance?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Cuttack_Case_Background\" >Cuttack: Case Background<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Bench_Observations\" >Bench Observations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Facts_Of_The_Case\" >Facts Of The Case<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Maintenance_And_Divorce_Proceedings\" >Maintenance And Divorce Proceedings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#High_Court_Divorce_Order_2023\" >High Court Divorce Order (2023)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Fresh_Maintenance_Claim_Under_BNSS\" >Fresh Maintenance Claim Under BNSS<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Legal_Issues_Before_The_Court\" >Legal Issues Before The Court<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Court_Reliance_On_Precedents\" >Court Reliance On Precedents<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Issue_Of_Permanent_Alimony_And_Future_Liability\" >Issue Of Permanent Alimony And Future Liability<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Court_Direction\" >Court Direction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Explanatory_Table_%E2%80%93_Laws_Sections_Involved\" >Explanatory Table \u2013 Laws &amp; Sections Involved<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Case_Details\" >Case Details<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Counsels\" >Counsels<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/divorce-granted-to-husband-on-ground-of-desertion-by-wife-yet-he-remains-liable-to-pay-maintenance-u-s-125-crpc-orissa-high-court\/#Key_Takeaways-2\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"case-background-cuttack\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cuttack_Case_Background\"><\/span>Cuttack: Case Background<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Orissa High Court said that even if a husband gets divorce on the ground of desertion by the wife, he cannot automatically stop paying maintenance to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Court made it clear that divorce on the ground of desertion does not itself end the wife\u2019s right to claim maintenance after divorce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bench-observations\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bench_Observations\"><\/span>Bench Observations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Bench of Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi observed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cUnder the BNSS, the maintenance provision stands renumbered as Section 144. The Explanation continues to include within the expression \u201cwife\u201d a divorced woman who has not remarried\u2026 In view of the above authorities, the legal position is clear that the decree of divorce on the ground of desertion does not, by itself, create a statutory bar to post-divorce maintenance. Therefore, the petitioner cannot succeed on the broad proposition that the present proceeding is inherently non-maintainable merely because the finding of desertion has attained finality.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"facts-of-the-case\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Facts_Of_The_Case\"><\/span>Facts Of The Case<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The case involved a marriage performed in 2003.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The wife allegedly left the matrimonial home within just over a month and never returned.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Despite this, multiple legal proceedings continued for years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"maintenance-and-divorce-proceedings\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Maintenance_And_Divorce_Proceedings\"><\/span>Maintenance And Divorce Proceedings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>During the divorce case, the wife was granted interim maintenance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Due to non-payment by the husband, his defence was struck off.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>His divorce petition was initially dismissed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Later, in separate proceedings under Section 125 CrPC, the wife was granted \u20b920,000 per month as maintenance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"high-court-divorce-2023\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"High_Court_Divorce_Order_2023\"><\/span>High Court Divorce Order (2023)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The High Court granted divorce to the husband in 2023 on the ground of desertion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Court noted that the amounts already paid would be treated as permanent alimony.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Based on this, the husband stopped paying maintenance from November 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fresh-maintenance-claim-bnss\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fresh_Maintenance_Claim_Under_BNSS\"><\/span>Fresh Maintenance Claim Under BNSS<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The wife again approached the court seeking post-divorce maintenance under the newly renumbered Section 144 BNSS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The husband challenged this.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He argued that once desertion is proved and divorce is granted, maintenance should not continue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"legal-issues-before-court\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legal_Issues_Before_The_Court\"><\/span>Legal Issues Before The Court<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Whether desertion can bar maintenance under law.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether earlier observations about permanent alimony automatically cancel maintenance orders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"court-reliance-on-precedents\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Court_Reliance_On_Precedents\"><\/span>Court Reliance On Precedents<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Relying on judgements such as Rohtash Singh v. Ramendri and Dr Swapan Kumar Banerjee v. State of West Bengal, the Court reiterated that even a divorced woman falls within the definition of \u201cwife\u201d for maintenance purposes, and desertion alone is not enough to deny maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"permanent-alimony-issue\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Issue_Of_Permanent_Alimony_And_Future_Liability\"><\/span>Issue Of Permanent Alimony And Future Liability<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On the issue of whether earlier payments amount to permanent alimony and end future liability, the court refused to decide it at this stage and stated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThe petitioner has full liberty to raise all objections available in law before that forum, including objections founded on the divorce decree, the observation regarding permanent alimony, the payments already made, the plea of satisfaction or adjustment, and the statutory consequence flowing from Section 146 BNSS or any other applicable provision\u2026 Where the dispute is whether an earlier final maintenance order survives, stands satisfied, or requires variation in view of subsequent matrimonial adjudication, the proper course is to permit the competent court to examine the matter on its own statutory terms rather than foreclose the inquiry at the threshold.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"court-direction\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Court_Direction\"><\/span>Court Direction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Court ultimately allowed the husband to approach the Family Court under Section 127 CrPC (now Section 146 BNSS) to seek cancellation or modification of the maintenance order, instead of stopping it unilaterally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"key-takeaways\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Issue<\/th><th>Legal Position<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Desertion<\/td><td>Does not automatically bar maintenance<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Divorce<\/td><td>Does not end maintenance rights by itself<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Divorced Wife<\/td><td>Still covered under definition of \u201cwife\u201d<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Stopping Maintenance<\/td><td>Cannot be done unilaterally<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Legal Remedy<\/td><td>Approach court for modification or cancellation<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This judgement once again highlights how, under Indian law, the financial liability of a husband may continue even after proving desertion by the wife, unless specifically modified or cancelled by a competent court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"explanatory-table-laws-sections-involved\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Explanatory_Table_%E2%80%93_Laws_Sections_Involved\"><\/span>Explanatory Table \u2013 Laws &amp; Sections Involved<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Provision<\/th><th>Statute<\/th><th>Purpose<\/th><th>Court\u2019s Interpretation in This Case<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Section 125 CrPC<\/td><td>Code Of Criminal Procedure, 1973<\/td><td>Maintenance to wife, children, parents<\/td><td>Continues even after divorce; includes divorced wife<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Section 125(4) CrPC<\/td><td>CrPC<\/td><td>Bars maintenance if wife refuses to live with husband without reason<\/td><td>Not applicable after divorce; cannot be used to deny post-divorce maintenance<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Section 127 CrPC<\/td><td>CrPC<\/td><td>Alteration\/cancellation of maintenance<\/td><td>Proper remedy for husband to seek modification<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Section 144 BNSS<\/td><td>Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023<\/td><td>Replacement of Section 125 CrPC<\/td><td>Same scope; includes divorced wife<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Section 144(4) BNSS<\/td><td>BNSS<\/td><td>Equivalent of Section 125(4) CrPC<\/td><td>Cannot bar maintenance post-divorce<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Section 146 BNSS<\/td><td>BNSS<\/td><td>Cancellation\/variation after civil court decisions<\/td><td>Proper mechanism to adjust maintenance after divorce\/alimony<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Section 528 BNSS<\/td><td>BNSS<\/td><td>Inherent powers of High Court<\/td><td>Cannot be used to prematurely quash maintenance proceedings<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Section 482 CrPC<\/td><td>CrPC<\/td><td>Inherent powers of High Court<\/td><td>Limited use; not for factual adjudication at initial stage<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Section 24 HMA<\/td><td>Hindu Marriage Act<\/td><td>Interim maintenance during pendency<\/td><td>The wife was granted pendente lite maintenance<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Section 25 HMA<\/td><td>Hindu Marriage Act<\/td><td>Permanent alimony<\/td><td>The court held no formal adjudication here; issue remains open<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Section 9 HMA<\/td><td>Hindu Marriage Act<\/td><td>Restitution of conjugal rights<\/td><td>The wife earlier succeeded before Family Court<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"case-details\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Case_Details\"><\/span>Case Details<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Case Title:<\/strong> Dr Deepak Padhi v. Gayatri Panda<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Court:<\/strong> High Court of Orissa at Cuttack<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Case Number:<\/strong> CRLMC No. 3213 of 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bench (Coram):<\/strong> Dr Justice Sanjeeb K. Panigrahi<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Date of Hearing:<\/strong> 17.03.2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Date of Judgment:<\/strong> 31.03.2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"counsels\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Counsels\"><\/span>Counsels<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>For Petitioner:<\/strong> Ms Deepali Mohapatra, Advocate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For Opposite Party:<\/strong> Mr Bhawani Sankar Panigrahi, Advocate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"key-takeaways\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways-2\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Even after proving desertion by his wife, a man is still legally bound to pay maintenance\u2014fault becomes irrelevant once money is involved.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Law treats a divorced woman as a \u201cwife\u201d for maintenance, effectively extending liability indefinitely unless remarriage or court modification occurs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Courts separate matrimonial fault from financial liability, creating a one-sided burden where men carry consequences despite winning the case.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cPermanent alimony\u201d observations do not automatically end maintenance\u2014men must relitigate again, increasing legal harassment and cost.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The system forces men into continuous litigation cycles, where even a final divorce decree does not provide real closure or financial certainty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the Indian courts and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of \u201cShoneeKapoor.com\u201d or its affiliates. This article is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content provided is not legal advice, and viewers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Viewer discretion is advised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>https:\/\/www.orissahighcourt.nic.in\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/sahodar.in\/maintenance-its-types-under-crpc-sec-125-sec-24-25-hma\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.shoneekapoor.com\/498a-nri-husband-canada-case\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.shoneekapoor.com\/india-canada-divorce-jurisdiction-nri\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.shoneekapoor.com\/prenup-nri-marriage-india-truth\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.shoneekapoor.com\/section-69-bns-legal-protection-against-men\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.shoneekapoor.com\/the-bharatiya-nagarik-suraksha-sanhita-2023-pdf\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/sahodar.in\/hindu-marriage-act-1955-hma-act\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.shoneekapoor.com\/legal-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Dr.-Deepak-Padhi-v.-Gayatri-Panda.pdf<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.shoneekapoor.com\/contact-me\/<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wife Leaves Within Weeks Of Marriage, Husband Gets Divorce\u2014Still Has To Pay Maintenance? Does law ignore fault and continue financial liability even after desertion is proved? Cuttack: Case Background The Orissa High Court said that even if a husband gets divorce on the ground of desertion by the wife, he cannot automatically stop paying maintenance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1371,"featured_media":22192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[342,28],"class_list":{"0":"post-22193","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-family-law","8":"tag-family-law","9":"tag-top-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Desertion-By-Wife-Yet-Husband-Pays-Maintenance-High-Court.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1371"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22193"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22305,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22193\/revisions\/22305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}