The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a plea by Sabina Lakdawala, widow of deceased builder and film financier Yusuf Lakdawala seeking modification of an interim order concerning her share and maintenance in a long-running property dispute, directing her to approach the trial court for appropriate relief.

The petitioner submitted that her husband had left assets worth around Rs1,500 crore, while she was allegedly left without sufficient financial resources and was presently dependent on limited interim maintenance.

The Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana noted that several interim orders had already been passed in the suit and that previous challenges to subsequent orders had been dismissed. It further observed that the latest interim order for maintainance had enhanced the amount payable to the petitioner by ₹5 lakh, taking the total amount towards her 12.5% share to ₹7.75 lakh.

The petitioner, however, sought further relief on equitable grounds, submitting that the existing legal framework was causing grave hardship to her.

The Bench observed that the relief being sought essentially amounted to modification of the interim arrangement and consequential enhancement of interim maintenance, which could be sought by moving an appropriate application before the trial court.

The petitioner then sought a brief observation from the Supreme Court that would enable her to seek appropriate relief before the trial court. The Court, however, indicated that the appropriate course was to approach the trial court with an application for modification.

The petitioner raise broader concerns about the personal law framework governing her claim, referring to earlier changes in the law applicable to the Syrian Christian community and expressing pessimism about immediate legislative reform. The Court observed that while courts could provide relief in individual cases, broader changes in the law would depend on the relevant community and legislative process.