#PWDVA

The Bombay High Court has ruled that sustained financial neglect of a spouse and children since 2013, with no provision for basic livelihood, qualifies as economic abuse under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. This sets a critical precedent for recognizing financial control and deprivation as forms of domestic violence, expanding access to interim maintenance for economically dependent survivors.

Madhya Pradesh High Court reaffirms that revisional jurisdiction under PWDVA is narrowly confined to cases of manifest excessiveness. The Rs. 25,000 interim maintenance awarded to a software engineer wife and minor child was upheld, emphasizing the husband’s capacity to pay despite his relocation to the US. The ruling underscores that interim relief under Section 23(1) of PWDVA is not subject to re-evaluation on merits in revision petitions.

Madhya Pradesh High Court rules that education expenses, including tuition fees for professional courses, fall under 'maintenance' for minor children under Section 20(1)(d) of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. The judgment sets aside a lower court's rejection of a Rs. 12.74 lakh claim, reinforcing that financial support for children's education is a statutory obligation regardless of the father's caste or government aid.