The income of an earning wife cannot be treated on a par with that of other earning members considering the diverse responsibilities that she carries besides earning, the Calcutta High Court held on Thursday.

A single-judge bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta was hearing a petition of one Pratima Sahu challenging an earlier order by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) dismissing her petition for compensation for serious injuries received by her in a road accident.

MACT’s contention was that since the compensation can be granted only if the victim’s monthly income is within Rs 3,000, the same cannot be granted to Sahu she earned Rs 4,000.

Later she challenged MACT’s decision at the Calcutta High Court.

On Thursday, while hearing the matter Justice Gupta observed that it is unjustified to treat an earning wife’s income with that of the other earning members of the family.

“Even asking for her income proof in such matters is also unexpected. We all must remember that an earning wife’s responsibility is not just limited to earning money. She has the responsibility of the entire family, including cooking, cleaning of home and taking care of others. She earns after handling so many responsibilities. So her income is not comparable to that of anyone else,” the Justice stated.

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