Supreme Court Allows Widow to Seek Maintenance from Brother-in-Law Under Domestic Violence Act

The Supreme Court has delivered an important judgment under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, stating that a widowed woman can claim maintenance from her brother-in-law when they were part of a joint family and lived in a shared household. The Court observed that an adult male member of the family cannot be automatically excluded from domestic violence proceedings.

The case involved a widow from Panipat, Haryana, who approached the court after she and her daughter were allegedly denied residence in the matrimonial home following her husband’s death. The Supreme Court upheld the interim maintenance order directing the brother-in-law to pay ₹4,000 per month to the widow and ₹2,000 per month to her daughter, while stating that the final decision will be taken during the trial.