IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BHARATI H. DANGRE, J.
Mr. Prakash Kumar Singhee – Petitioner
Versus
Ms. Amrapali Singhee – Respondent
Writ Petition No. 3553 of 2018 With Contempt Petition No. 459 of 2017
Decided On : 04-05-2018
Civil Procedure Code,1860 - Order 21 - Rule 41 - Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 - Section-20 - competent jurisdiction - Claim maintenance - Domestic Violence Act - Section 20 - Petitioner husband is that respondent-wife lost interest in married life and she took away children from their joint custody respondent-wife instituted Petition invoking Section of Specific Relief Act before Family Court - In said proceedings respondent-wife prayed for a restrain order against husband removing son Aryaman from custody of petitioner-husband and also from meeting his son came to be filed in said Court praying for temporary injunction and Family Court on issued temporary injunction against husband directing not to remove child from custody of wife until further orders –Held, Court and or otherwise husband is directed to be sent to jail- This order was passed husband has failed to deposit any amount in terms of order passed by Family Court by impugned order- Court is of opinion matter needs to be remanded so as decide entitlement maintenance of wife petitioner- husband is directed to deposit an amount amount of maintenance in terms of directions of Judge family Court by calculating said amount from date of order said amount is directed to be deposited before Family Court within a period four weeks from date of this order- Family Court would then reconsider matter on such deposit being made by petitioner-husband and would also consider application preferred by wife for withdrawal of such amount Court is directed to reconsider application for maintenance within a period of three months from date of deposit of amount by petitioner-husband in Family Court- said amount would be then adjusted towards quantum of maintenance which family Court would award on its reconsideration- During pendency of proceedings before Family Court on its remand petitioner-husband would pay an amount of per month to wife towards her maintenance till Family Court decides mater petitioner is also directed to bear educational expenses of son and would commit no default in payment of his school fees - Petition allowed
BHARATI H. DANGRE, J.
1. The present Writ Petition is filed by the petitioner-husband, challenging order passed by the Family Court, Pune below Exh.20 in Petition B. No. 2/2013, thereby directing the petitioner to pay maintenance of Rs. 2 lakhs to the wife under Section-20 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 from the date of application till the decision of the petition.
2. Contempt Petition No. 459 of 2017 is taken out by the wife alleging non-compliance of the said order passed by the Family Court and praying for appropriate directions to the husband to comply with the said order.
3. The brief chronology of the facts leading to the filing of present petitions is culled out below:
The petitioner and respondent were married on 11.07.1997 as per Hindu rites and Customs. At the relevant time the petitioner was living in Houston, Texas, USA and the parties resided there till 2004. Out of the said wedlock, two children were born on 15.11.1998 and 20.01.2004. At present the daughter is studying in USA and the son is staying with the wife.
The case of the petitioner-husband is that the respondent-wife lost interest in married life and she took away the children from their joint custody. The respondent-wife instituted the Petition B No. 2/2013 invoking Section 34, 37(2), 38 and 39 of the Specific Relief Act before the Family Court, Pune. In the said proceedings, the respondent-wife prayed for a restrain order against the husband removing son Aryaman from the custody of the petitioner-husband and also from meeting his son Aryaman out of Pune. Exh.5 came to be filed in the said Court praying for temporary injunction and the Family Court-I, Pune on 24.01.2013 issued temporary injunction against husband directing not to remove child from the custody of the wife until further orders.
4. The respondent-wife preferred an application Exh.20 in the said petition under Section- 20 of the Protection of Domestic Violence Act praying for monetary relief of Rs. 5 lakhs per month and for reimbursement of school fees of son Aryaman to the tune of Rs. 50,000/-. In the said application preferred under Section 20 of the Domestic Violence Act, the wife alleged that she is entitled for maintenance of Rs. 5 lakhs per month by taking into consideration the life style to which she is accustomed to and in the backdrop of the earning capacity of the husband. The said application came to be opposed by the petitioner by filing a reply wherein it was contended that the proceedings under the Domestic Violence Act cannot be extended to a woman who earns tax free dividend of Rs. 4 lakhs per annum and who has investment in her bank to fetch her interest of around 70 thousand per annum. In the said reply the petitioner-husband categorically stated that he was catering to the needs of the wife and children and always arranging for their lodging and boarding and all other miscellaneous expenses.
5. On consideration of the said application, the impugned order came to be passed by the Family Court. The Judge Family Court dealt with the objection that the application under Section 20 of the Domestic Violence Act cannot be instituted in the proceedings filed under the Specific Relief Act and the Court also recorded the submission of the petitioner that the preliminary requirement of Domestic Violence has not been proved and in such circumstances such an application cannot be entertained.
6. The impugned order proceeds on a footing that the petitioner is a President of “Shiv Vani Oil and Gas Exploration Services Limited” and draws a salary of Rs. 15 lakhs per month with perks worth Rs. 5 lakh. The Court observe that the husband is in charge of the said company but he has failed to produce any documents reflecting his income, but the wife had produced on record copy of her bank statement. The Family Court would take note of the bank statement as well as Income Tax returns of the wife for the year 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. The Co
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