Court mandates child maintenance payment from husband

A family court in Jodhpur has ruled that a wife is entitled to half of her husband's income for child maintenance, even if she can earn herself. The court ordered the husband to pay Rs 15,000 each month for their son. The husband argued against paying alimony, stating that his wife, Mickey Chauhan, is a post-graduate and can support herself. However, the court emphasized that both parents are responsible for raising their child together. Mickey Chauhan, a medical representative, filed her case in the family court in January 2014. She married Rajneesh Chauhan in 2009 and had a son in 2010. She claimed her husband harassed her over dowry and kicked her out of their home in 2013. In court, the husband pointed out that an earlier order from a domestic violence case already required him to pay Rs 3,200 monthly. He requested the court to dismiss Mickey's latest petition. After considering the arguments, presiding officer Varun Talwar stated that both parents have equal responsibility for their child's upbringing, and thus the wife deserves maintenance from her husband.