Bombay HC attaches former Army man’s account

The Bombay high court (HC) directed the attachment of a bank account of a former Army man and seizure of around ₹11 lakh in it after he failed to pay the maintenance

The Bombay high court (HC) directed the attachment of a bank account of a former Army man and seizure of around ₹11 lakh in it after he failed to pay the maintenance amount for his wife and child, in violation of a previous HC order. The 60-year-old man had claimed he was unable to pay maintenance as he drew a pension of ₹4,255 per month, but the HC said he had not conveyed to the court that he had funds in excess of ₹11 lakh in his account.

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The court said while the outstanding maintenance of ₹5.59 lakh would be released to the wife, the remaining amount would be kept in a fixed deposit, out of which ₹15,000 would be released to the wife every month.

On July 10, 2017, the HC had directed the man to pay ₹15,000 as maintenance to his wife and child from April 1, 2015. However, as he had not done so, the woman filed a contempt petition.

When the division bench of justices Akil Kureshi and SJ Kathawalla heard the petition, the man through his counsel informed the bench that he had retired on July 31, 2017 and was drawing a meagre pension of ₹4,255 per month. But when the court referred to records submitted by the woman, it came to know the man had got retiral benefits to the tune of ₹17 lakh. On being informed that after retirement the man had got married again, the court attached his pension account with the bank.