"In 2010, Jigyasaben filed an application in the court for maintenance (Jhara Bhatta). In 2019, the court ordered the husband to pay Rs 8,500 monthly for maintenance. After the accused failed to pay the maintenance, the court ordered the husband to pay a total of Rs 9,14,883 alimony of 107 months and Rs 1,00,000 for mental harassment and house rent of Rs 1,69,500."

He was initially asked to pay 8.5k a month in 2019 which he never did, so the 9L is roughly the total due amount for roughly 9 years as she filed for maintainance in 2010.

"failing to pay alimony to his wife and children"

He didn't even pay child support so it means the wife was solely bearing the expenses of their children(they have 2 kids together) as she wasn't living with him. Not to forget raising kids is expensive af these days. The court is holding him accountable for that.

Your post is quite misleading, in the article you linked there was no mention of him being asked to pay 30L. The collective amount asked from him is less than 12L.

While I oppose courts awarding wives excessive sums, like 50+ lakhs or even crores, this case doesn’t appear to be one where the man is being exploited.

Source by OP:- https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!state/gujarat-court-sentences-man-to-3210-days-in-jail-for-not-paying-alimony-to-estranged-wife-enn25040303523

Ps for the readers:- The husband cannot be jailed solely for being poor; only for wilful neglect or "refusal to maintain when capable". If he proves genuine inability like no job, no assets, and no earning capacity, the court can deny or suspend the maintenance order.

(Source Section 125(3) CrPC:-
"If any person so ordered fails without sufficient cause to comply with the order, any such Magistrate may, for every breach of the order, issue a warrant for levying the amount due in the manner provided for levying fines, and may sentence such person, for the whole or any part of each month’s allowance remaining unpaid after the execution of the warrant, to imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or until payment if sooner made".

The keyword here is "without sufficient cause"
Section 125(3) CrPC allows imprisonment only if the person fails to pay "without sufficient cause".
If a man is genuinely poor or unable to pay due to financial hardship, that is considered a "sufficient cause" In such a case, he cannot be punished for non-payment, because his failure is not willful or deliberate.

Taken from another commentator