The Calcutta High Court has stepped in with a firm stroke, raising the financial stakes for Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami in his ongoing domestic dispute. Shami has now been directed to pay a revised interim maintenance of ₹4 lakh every month—₹1.5 lakh to his estranged wife and ₹2.5 lakh to their minor daughter—until the domestic violence case against him reaches its conclusion.
This comes as a significant bump from the ₹1.3 lakh previously set by the trial court, and far above the original ₹80,000 granted by a magistrate solely for the daughter, which left the wife with nothing.
The Bench, led by Justice Dr Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee, found the earlier amount inexplicably low, especially considering Shami’s financial standing. The judgment minced no words: the wife and daughter were entitled to live with a degree of financial dignity that matched the standard maintained during the marriage. “Fair and reasonable,” the Court called it, ensuring both had adequate support to navigate life independently.
While Shami is now legally bound to pay ₹4 lakh monthly from the date of filing under Section 23 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, the court also left the door open for him to contribute more, particularly for his daughter’s educational needs.
The legal innings began in 2018, when Shami’s wife filed a domestic violence complaint, requesting ₹10 lakh in monthly interim support—₹7 lakh for herself and ₹3 lakh for their child. The High Court noted that the husband’s financial disclosures clearly showed he could shoulder a higher amount than what the lower courts had awarded.
Married in 2014, the couple welcomed a daughter in 2015. The wife’s petition marked her second marriage; she already had two children from her previous relationship. Despite the complex family dynamic, the court underscored the constitutional duty of a husband to provide fair maintenance where merited.
While the High Court has now recalibrated the interim maintenance, it also nudged the trial court to wrap up the primary case without further delay.
This legal face-off may not involve cricket balls or wickets—but for Shami, the real test is now being played out in the courtroom.
