India, Jan. 10 -- The Delhi High Court ordered that custody of one child with the wife does not absolve the husband of the maintenance duties when the wife does not have an independent source of income.

In the 15-page ruling, thebench of justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, said that maintenance obligations do not get divided merely because each parent has custody of one child and the fact can be considered while fixing the maintenance amount.

"The mere fact that one child is in the custody of the petitioner (husband) cannot, by itself, be a ground to absolve him of his obligation to maintain respondent no.1 (wife) and the minor child residing with her. The responsibility of maintenance does not stand divided merely because each parent has cust...