NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to cricketer Mohammed Shami in response to a plea filed by his estranged wife seeking an enhancement of the interim maintenance awarded to her and their minor daughter.

A bench comprising Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan directed Shami to respond to the plea, which challenges two orders passed by the Calcutta High Court on July 1 and August 25.

High Court Orders on Maintenance

The Calcutta High Court had earlier increased the interim maintenance payable by Shami to Rs 1.5 lakh per month for his wife and Rs 2.5 lakh per month for their daughter. It also allowed the cricketer to clear any arrears in eight monthly instalments.

In her plea to the Supreme Court, Shami’s wife claimed that the amounts awarded are "grossly inadequate," considering Shami’s substantial financial resources and reportedly lavish lifestyle. She has requested a monthly maintenance of Rs 7 lakh for herself and Rs 3 lakh for their daughter.

Financial Standing and Lifestyle Highlighted

The petition points out that Shami’s annual income, according to his Income Tax Return for 2021-22, was nearly Rs 48 crore. Meanwhile, she has allegedly been living in "downtrodden conditions," struggling to cover basic expenses.

The plea also highlights Shami’s ownership of multiple luxury vehicles, including a Range Rover, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Toyota Fortuner. The couple married in April 2014.

Legal History of the Case

In 2018, Shami’s wife filed an FIR at the Jadavpur police station in Kolkata alleging domestic violence, which led to a chargesheet against the cricketer. She subsequently approached the court under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act seeking interim maintenance.

A trial court initially granted Rs 80,000 per month for the child but denied maintenance to the spouse. On appeal, the Sessions Court in 2023 awarded Rs 50,000 to the wife and Rs 80,000 to the child.

The Calcutta High Court’s July 1 order increased the amounts further, and its August 25 order permitted Shami to pay arrears in instalments. Senior advocate Shobha Gupta represented Shami’s estranged wife before the apex court.

(With PTI Inputs)