Stridhan & Gifts Cannot Be Treated as Wife’s Income to Defeat Maintenance Claim: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court held that stridhan and gifts received by a woman at the time of marriage cannot be treated as a source of income to deny or reduce her claim for maintenance. The Court clarified that stridhan is the exclusive property of the wife and is meant for her financial security, not as a substitute for the husband’s statutory obligation to maintain her. The Bench observed that maintenance laws are rooted in social welfare principles and aim to prevent economic hardship faced by deserted or dependent spouses. Treating marriage gifts as income would defeat the very purpose of maintenance provisions under matrimonial and criminal law. The ruling strengthens women’s financial rights and reiterates that a husband cannot evade maintenance liability by pointing to assets that legally belong to the wife.