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2014 Supreme(Bom) 2261

IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and A.S. Gadkari, JJ.
Kavita Krishnamurthy - Appellants
Vs.
K.N. Krishnamurthy - Respondent
Civil Application Nos. 40, 177 and 214 of 2013, 78 of 2014 in Family Court Appeal No. 20 of 2013
Decided On : 09.12.2014

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellant : Mohan A. Dharmaraj
For the Respondents: Party-in-Person

Headnote:Civil Procedure Code, 1908 - Order XXXIX, Rule 11 Striking off defence. In absence of wilful disobedience of order, drastic order of striking out defence, cannot be passed.

       Civil Procedure Code, 1908 - Order XXXIX, Rule 11 Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Sections 13 and 26 Striking off defence. - In absence of specific finding as to willful breach of access order on part of wife, order striking off defence of wife in divorce petition, unjustified. Mere breach or mere failure to abide by the order does not attract Rule 11 of Order XXXIX. The Single Judge in the said decision has recorded a finding in the facts and circumstances of the case before her that the wife has committed a complete breach of the order of access. In the facts of the case, the Judge came to the conclusion that it was a drastic case of complete and wilful default. Hence, the said decision will have no application. In the present case, no specific finding of wilful breach of the order has been recorded. As of the date of impugned order, it was not a fit case to pass a drastic order under Rule 11 of order XXXIX. Therefore, the impugned order will have to be set aside. It is obvious that as a result of setting aside of the impugned order dated 8th November, 2012, all orders of the Family Court, whether interim or ad-interim, which were in operation on 8th November, 2012 and which stood vacated by virtue of the impugned order will stand restored and the parties will be bound by the said orders subject to further modifications which may be made by the Family Court.

JUDGMENT

Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, J.

1. On the earlier date, the parties were put to notice that this Appeal will be taken up for final disposal.

2. The Appellant wife has taken an exception to the order dated 8th November, 2012 passed by the learned Judge of the Family Court at Mumbai by which a Petition being Petition No.A1464 of 2008 filed by her was dismissed by the learned Judge of the Family Court in exercise of powers under Rule 11 of Order XXXIX of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (for short "the said Code"). By the same order, the defence of the Appellant wife in a Petition being Petition No.D60 of 2009 filed by the Respondent husband was ordered to be struck out in exercise of powers under Rule 11 of Order XXXIX of the said Code.

3. The learned counsel appearing for the Appellant wife has taken us through the averments made in the application at Exhibit 98 filed by the Respondent husband and the reply thereto. He has also invited our attention to the order dated 13th March, 2012 passed by the learned Judge of the Family Court on application at Exhibit 98. He submitted that in terms of paragraph 8 of the said order, the learned Judge modified the earlier order regarding grant of access to the minor child. He pointed out that there is a specific observation that if the said access order is not complied with, the matter will be taken up for orders under Rule 11 of Order XXXIX of the said Code. He also invited our attention to further order dated 27th August, 2012. He also pointed out that there is a dispute between the parties as regards what transpired on 8th September, 2012. He pointed out the order made by the learned Judge on 14th September, 2012. He pointed out that a video film was made by the Appellant to show what exactly transpired on 8th September, 2012. By order dated 14th September, 2012, the marriage counsellor was ordered to see the video film and submit a report. The learned counsel appearing for the Appellant submitted that the report dated 1st October, 2012 shows that the allegation regarding noncompliance with the order of the Family Court has not been substantiated. He urged that in the impugned order, there is no finding recorded regarding the deliberate or wilful disobedience on the part of the Appellant of the orders of the Family Court. The submission is that the learned Judge has committed an error by assigning wrong meaning to the finding of the Psychiatry Department of the Nair Hospital that the Appellant has shown "MMPI fake good protocol" symptoms. He relied upon an article on subject by L.A.R. Stein and John R. Graham as well as Carolyn L. Williams. He submitted that the facts of the case in the decision of the learned Single Judge of this Court in the case of Vimi Vinod Chopra Vs. Vinod Gulshan Chopra 2012(1) Mh.L.J. 525 were completely different. He urged that as there is no finding recorded of wilful disobedience by the wife of any particular order of the Family Court, the impugned drastic order of striking out the defence as well as dismissing the Petition filed by the Appellant is illegal and harsh.

4. The Respondent husband appearing in person submitted that at no stage, the Respondent husband was given an opportunity to enjoy the company of his son whose present age is 11 1/2 years. He pointed out from the record of attendance maintained in the Children's Complex at Family Court, Mumbai that there is noncompliance of the directions contained in paragraph 8 of the order dated 13th March, 2012. He submitted that there are series of orders passed by the learned Judge of the Family Court on application at Exhibit 98 and all the orders will have to be read together to find out whether there is a categorical finding recorded of wilful breach or wilful disobedience of the orders of the Family Court. He submitted that there are categorical findings recorded by the learned Judge of the Family Court regarding deliberate noncompliance of the orders regarding access by the Appellant wife. He urged that the






























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