2002 Supreme(Cal) 710
High Court Of Calcutta
Malay Kumar Basu
SWASTIKA SEN - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF WEST BENGAL, PRITAM SEN - Respondent
C. R. R. 340 Of 2002
Decided On : 12/03/2002
Kaushik Gupta, KRISHNENDU GUPTU, Sourav Bhattacharya, SUMAN GHOSH
A wife is entitled to interim maintenance if she is unable to maintain herself.
Headnote:
MAINTENANCE - WIFE - INTERIM MAINTENANCE - WIFE'S RIGHT TO MAINTENANCE - WIFE'S INCOME - INCOME TAX RETURN - HUSBAND'S LIABILITY - CHILD - INTERIM MAINTENANCE - AMENDMENT OF SECTION 125 CRPC - RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT - JURISDICTION OF MAGISTRATE - INTERIM RELIEF - SCOPE.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner, a married woman, filed a petition under section 125 CrPC claiming maintenance from her husband on account of herself as well as the child who was born out of this wedlock. The learned SDJM rejected the prayer of the petitioner for grant of interim maintenance and directed payment of Rs. 1500/- per month by way of interim maintenance for the child.
Finding of the Court:
The Court held that the learned Magistrate was not unjustified in refusing to award any interim maintenance for the wife so long as the main matter as not heard and disposed of by obtaining evidence from the parties on the prima facie substantial ground that she could not be said to be unable to maintain herself during the intermim period.
Issues: 1. Whether the wife is entitled to interim maintenance? 2. Whether the husband is liable to pay maintenance to his wife? 3. Whether the amount of maintenance awarded for the child is adequate? 4. Whether the amendment of section 125 CrPC has retrospective effect?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. A wife is entitled to interim maintenance if she is unable to maintain herself. 2. The husband is liable to pay maintenance to his wife if she is unable to maintain herself. 3. The amount of maintenance awarded for the child is adequate, considering the wife's income and the rising cost of living. 4. The amendment of section 125 CrPC does not have retrospective effect, and therefore, the Magistrate was not bound to award an amount exceeding Rs. 1500/- as interim maintenance for the child.
Final Decision: The Court dismissed the revisional application and directed the learned Magistrate to finally dispose of the main proceeding, that is, the application for maintenance under section 125 CrPC pending before it, within two months from the date of receipt of the LCR.
( 1 ) THIS revisional application under sections 482 Cr. PC is directed against the order dated 7. 1. 2002 passed by the learned SDJM, Alipur in Case No. M-244/01 pending before that Court under section 125 Crpc rejecting a prayer for interim maintenance of the petitioner and interim award of Rs. 1500/- per month on account of the child till the hearing and disposal of the main petition. The case of the petitioner is as follows. SHE was married to the opposite party No. 2 Promit Sen according to Hindu rites. On 18th June, 1998 soon after the marriage she was subjected to severe mental and physical torture by the opposite party No. 2 and her in-laws. The opposite party No. 2 was whimsical, selfish and irresponsible and he used to abuse the petitioner and to pick up quarrel with her every now and then on baseless and false accusations. She used to be constantly intimidated, threatened and assaulted by the opposite party No. 2 on a number of occasions on the ground of his dissatisfaction in respect of articles given by her parents during their marriage. Ultimately she was sent by the opposite party No. 2 and her in-laws to her parental home where she has been residing till now and the expenses of her and her child's maintenance are being borne by her father. The opposite party No. 2 neither care to bear any such expense nor paid any visit to her father's house nor take any information about them. She has no independent source of income. Under such circumstances she has filed the petition under section 125 Cr. PC in question claiming maintenance from the opposite party No. 2 on account of herself as well as the child who was born out of this wedlock. The petitioner also filed a criminal case against the opposite party No. 2 and the other in-laws under sections 498a and 406 IPC which is in the Court of the learned Magistrate being Jadavpur P. S. Case No. 190/2000. The Police after investigation has submitted a charge sheet in that case against the opposite party No. 2 and the other in-laws and that case is still pending in the Court of SDJM, Alipur for trial. The opposite party No. 2 is a professional singer and is the owner of an Export oriented Concern Style as M/s. Super Exports having its office at Mission Road, Bangalore-56. He is also a major share-holder of M/s. Super Plastic wherefrom he earns more than Rs. 1? lakhs per month. The petitioner has 10% share in a Travel Agency Firm under this Style M/s. Capri International which is owned by her mother but the form of business of that Firm is absolutely uncallable and since July 2001 she did not receive any remuneration from that firm in any manner. She has prayed for grant of maintenance to the tune of Rs. 20,000/- per month for herself and Rs. 10,000/- per month for the child.
( 2 ) THE learned SDJM after hearing both sides and perusing a document filed by both the parties passed the impugned order rejecting the prayer of the petitioner for grant of interim maintenance and directing payment of Rs. 1500/- per month by way of interim maintenance for the child. Being aggrieved by this order the petitioner has preferred this revisional application challenging the same as erroneous and unjustified being passed on the basis of vague surmises and conjectures.
( 3 ) THE contention of Mr. Basu, the learned advocate for the petitioner has been that it is not understood wherefrom the learned Magistrate could draw the conclusion that the petitioner was not a destitute lady and need not require any maintenance. Mr. Basu has criticised the impugned order as improper and perverse and his findings that the petitioner had some income of her own as totally unwarranted. According to Mr. Basu, the learned SDJM has not given any reason for coming to such finding and passing the impugned order and being a non-speaking order it has been rendered liable to be set aside. In support of his contention he refers to the decision reported in AIR 1990 SC 1984 wherein it has been held that