Supreme Court raises maintenance in a matrimonial dispute: PF and stock-plan deductions are not mandatory deductions
The question: Should provident fund and employee stock plan contributions be deducted from income when fixing maintenance?
In a matrimonial dispute, a mother challenged the maintenance fixed by the Delhi High Court for herself and two children, arguing that the father's income had been reduced by deductions that were really voluntary. The Supreme Court agreed that provident fund and employee stock plan contributions are not compulsory deductions in the way income tax and professional tax are, and increased the maintenance.