IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT NAGPUR
Avinash G. Gharote, J.
Santosh & Ors. – Appellants
Versus
Amruta Santosh Bhalerao – Respondent
Criminal Revision Application No. 177 of 2019
Decided On : 19-01-2022
Suppression - Jurisdiction - D.V. Act - Section 23(2) - [Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005, Section 23(2)] - The court quashed and set aside the order for interim maintenance due to the non-applicant/wife's failure to make a full and candid disclosure of her employment and earnings, and her incorrect representation of her residence, remanding the matter for redetermination.
Fact of the Case:
The petition challenges the order for interim maintenance under Section 23(2) of the Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005, based on the non-applicant/wife's alleged intentional suppression of her employment and residence details.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the non-applicant/wife failed to make a full and candid disclosure of her employment and earnings, and incorrectly represented her residence, leading to the quashing and setting aside of the order for interim maintenance.
Issues: The issues revolved around the non-applicant/wife's alleged suppression of material facts regarding her employment, earnings, and residence, impacting the jurisdiction of the court and the order for interim maintenance.
Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized the necessity for litigants to be honest and make a full disclosure of all relevant and material facts, and held that the non-applicant/wife's failure to do so warranted the quashing of the order for interim maintenance.
Final Decision: The court partly allowed the application, quashing and setting aside the order for interim maintenance, and remanded the matter for redetermination, while maintaining the maintenance for the son.
JUDGMENT
Avinash G. Gharote, J. - Hearing was conducted through Video Conferencing and the learned counsels agreed that the audio and visual quality was proper.
2. Heard.
3. Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. Heard finally with the consent of learned counsel for the rival parties.
4. The petition challenges the order dated 28.07.2015, passed by the learned Judicial Magistrate First Class, Court No. 6, Amravati, under Section 23(2) of the Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (hereinafter to be refereed as the 'D.V. Act'), whereby the applicant No. 1/husband, has been directed to pay Rs. 20,000/- (Rs. Twenty Thousand Only) per month to the wife and Rs. 10,000/- (Rs. Ten Thousand Only) per month to the minor son. This order has been confirmed in appeal by the learned Sessions Court by judgment dated 30.04.2019 by dismissing the appeal.
5. Mr. Dhore, learned counsel for the applicants submits, that the judgment of the learned Judicial Magistrate First Class, Amravati, is an outcome of a result of an intentional suppression practiced by the non-applicant/wife, inasmuch as, though on 20.07.2013 when the complaint under the D.V. Act came to be filed, the non-applicant/wife was permanently residing at Mumbai and was employed with the R.A. Poddar Medical College, Mumbai with effect from 13.05.2013 and was earning sumptuously, no disclosure of this was made by her in the complaint nor was her salary certificate indicating the amount of salary which was drawn by her, placed on record. He submits, that only for the purpose of creating jurisdiction with the learned Judicial Magistrate First Class, Amravati, the residence of the non-applicant/wife, on 20.07.2013, has been shown at Amravati, whereas, since May 2013 and even prior thereto the non-applicant/wife was residing at Mumbai. He further submits, that after the marriage on 09.07.2011, the non-applicant/wife, had shifted to Mumbai, to reside at the matrimonial home, where the applicant No. 1/husband was residing there till 05.06.2013, on which date, a report was lodged by her with Dadar Police Station against the applicants whereupon she had left the matrimonial house and had come to Amravati. He further submits, that perhaps after instructing her counsel who drafted the compliant at Amravati, she had gone back again to Mumbai to join her services to R.A. Poddar Medical College, Mumbai, where she was employed upon selection by the M.P.S.C., and therefore, as she was a permanent resident of Mumbai, the complaint at her behest filed at Amravati was not maintainable.
6. He further submits, that it was the duty of the non-applicant/wife to have made a full and candid disclosure, regarding her employment and the amount which she was receiving as salary, which could have been taken into consideration by the learned Judicial Magistrate First Class, Amravati, while passing the impugned order granting interim maintenance. He submits, that though a vague statement was made in para 17, that the non-applicant/wife was due to resume her services at Mumbai shortly there was no clear cut disclosure regarding the nature of her services and the emoluments which she was getting on account of such services. He submits, that though the applicants, in their written statement, had specifically stated, that the non-applicant/wife, at the time of filing of the application was residing at Mumbai and was a working as Assistant Professor in R.A. Poddar Medical College, Mumbai, on account of medical leave availed by her during the period 05.06.2013 to 27.08.2013, the complaint came to be filed, in spite of which position, there was no candid disclosure, as to the nature of her services or the emoluments which she was getting at Mumbai. He submits, that though this submission was noted by the learned Judicial Magistrate First Class, Amravati in para 12 of the impugned order, the same was not considered on the ground that there was no prima facie evidence on record about her current working status and
The main legal point established is the requirement for litigants to make a full and candid disclosure of all relevant and material facts, as failure to do so can impact the court's jurisdiction and ....
Courts can grant maintenance under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act while other maintenance orders exist; proper assessment of the husband's income is essential for determining just....
A wife can seek maintenance under different statutes; non-disclosure of interim maintenance in previous proceedings cannot bar her claim.
Dual maintenance claims are permissible under different statutes, but the applicant must disclose previous orders and justify the need based on changing circumstances for additional relief.
Temporary residence under the D.V. Act requires demonstrable intention to stay, not just casual presence, supported by sufficient evidence.
In matters of maintenance, full disclosure of financial information by both parties is essential; incomplete disclosure may lead to adverse inferences for determining interim and final maintenance.
Territorial Jurisdiction of Magistrate – It is requirement of Section 27 of D.V. Act that, in order to confer territorial jurisdiction upon a Judicial Magistrate First Class, there has to be at least....
: Disclosure of previous maintenance proceedings is mandatory in subsequent proceedings for maintenance under different enactments to avoid conflicting orders.
The importance of filing Affidavits of Disclosure of Income/Assets in maintenance proceedings and the obligation to pay maintenance to the respondent-wife.
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