Bhopal, Dec 16: Madhya Pradesh's famous Baiga tribal artist Jodhaiya Bai, a Padma Shri recipient, died in Umaria district after a prolonged illness, sources said on Monday.

She was 86.

The painter, who was instrumental in getting international recognition to the Baiga tribal art, passed away at her native Lodha village in Umaria district on Sunday, the sources said.

Jodhaiya Bai received Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian award, in 2023 for her special contribution in the field of arts.

Her last rites were held at the Lodha village on Monday in the presence of district collector Dharnendra Kumar Jain, Superintendent of Police Nivedita Naidu, other officials and political leaders.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over her demise.

"Along with Madhya Pradesh, the country also lost an artist who spent her entire life to provide recognition to paintings based on the tribal culture, art and traditions in the country and abroad," Yadav said in a post on X.

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Prayagraj (PTI): The Allahabad High Court has set aside a lower court order mandating a man to pay maintenance to his estranged wife, observing that she earns her living and did not reveal the true salary in her affidavit.

Justice Madan Pal Singh also allowed a criminal revision petition filed by the man, Ankit Saha.

"A perusal of the impugned judgment indicates that in the affidavit filed before the trial court, the opposite party herself admitted that she is a post-graduate and a web designer by qualification. She is working as a senior sales coordinator in a company and getting a salary of Rs 34,000 per month," the court said in the December 3 order.

"But in her cross-examination, she has admitted that she was earning Rs 36,000 per month. Such an amount for a wife who has no other liability cannot be said to be meagre; whereas the man has the responsibility of maintaining his aged parents and other social obligations," it observed.

The high court observed that the woman was not entitled to get any maintenance from her husband "as she is an earning lady and able to maintain herself".

The man's counsel argued in court that the estranged wife did not reveal the whole truth in the affidavit.

"She claimed herself to be an illiterate and unemployed woman. When the document filed by the man was shown to her before the trial court, she admitted her income during cross-examination. Thus, it is clear that she did not come before the trial court with clean hands," the counsel submitted.

The court, in its order, said, "Cases of those litigants who have no regard for the truth and those who indulge in suppressing material facts need to be thrown out of the court."

It impugned the lower court's February 17 judgment and order, passed by the principal judge of a family court in Gautam Buddh Nagar and allowed the criminal revision petition filed by the man.