IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
D. Sreedevi, J.
Susheela - Petitioner
Vs.
Komalavally - Respondent
Crl. R.P. No. 37 of 1996
Decided on : 5-3-1999
Maintenance - Jurisdiction - Section 125, Cr.P.C. - Section 462, Cr.P.C. - AIR 1977 SC 1101 - 1985 Crl. L.J. 152 (Kar.)
Fact of the Case:
The respondent filed a maintenance case against the petitioner, her daughter, under Section 125, Cr.P.C. claiming maintenance at the rate of Rs. 500/- per month. The petitioner contested the case stating that the respondent is leading an immoral life and has been living separately from her husband for more than 13 years without justifiable reason.
Finding of the Court:
The Court found that the respondent, who was receiving Rs. 175/- p.m. maintenance from her husband, was entitled to file a case against her daughter for additional maintenance. The Court upheld the lower court's decision to award Rs. 200/- per month maintenance to the respondent.
Issues: The issues involved the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the maintenance case, the respondent's entitlement to file a case against her daughter while receiving maintenance from her husband, and the adequacy of the maintenance amount.
Ratio Decidendi: The Court relied on Section 462, Cr.P.C. and the decision in Raj Kumari Vijh vs. Devi Raj Vijh, AIR 1977 SC 1101 to establish that the court had jurisdiction to entertain the maintenance case. It also considered the Karnataka High Court decision in Ananth Gopal Pai vs. Gopal Narayan Pai, 1985 Crl. L.J. 152 (Kar.) to support the respondent's right to file a case against her daughter for additional maintenance.
Final Decision: The Revision Petition was dismissed, affirming the lower court's decision to award Rs. 200/- per month maintenance to the respondent.
This R.P. has been filed against the order in M.C. No. 117/95 of the Musiff (J.F.C.M.) Taliparamba.
2. Revision petitioner is the daughter of the respondent. The respondent filed M.C. 117/95 on the file of J.F.C.M. Taliparamba against the petitioner for maintenance under Section 125, Cr.P.C. The case of the petitioner in that case was that she was deserted by her husband and hence she was forced to live separately. She claimed maintenance at the rate of Rs. 500/- per month. Petitioner who was the respondent in M.C. 117/95 filed a counter stating that the petition is not maintainable as she is leading an immoral life and that she has been living separately from her husband for more than a period of 13 years without any justifiable reason. Respondent was awarded Rs. 175/- p.m. towards maintenance in another M.C. filed by her against her husband. Hence she prayed for the dismissal of the case.
3. Learned Magistrate after taking evidence awarded Rs. 200 per month towards maintenance of the petitioner. Aggrieved by the said order the respondent has filed this R.P.
4. Learned Counsel Sri. K.V. Sohan appearing for the petitioner submitted that the order of the Magistrate directing the respondent to pay maintenance is irregular, improper and against the provisions of law. Admittedly, the respondent filed M.C. against her husband and an award has been passed in her favour allowing her to receive Rs. 175 p.m. from her husband. It is also submitted that since she is getting maintenance from her husband she is not entitled to file another case for maintenance from her daughter. Another argument advanced is that the Judicial Magistrate, Taliparamba has no jurisdiction to entertain the application as the respondent is residing at Trivandrum.
5. Learned Counsel for the respondent invited my attention to Section 462, Cr.P.c. and also a decision reported in Raj Kumari Vijh vs. Devi Raj Vijh, AIR 1977 SC 1101. Section 462 provides that no finding, sentence or order of any Criminal Court shall be set aside merely on the ground that the inquiry, trial or other proceedings in the course of which it was arrived at or passed, took place in wrong session, division, district, sub-division or other local area, unless it appears that such error has infact occasioned a failure of justice. The Supreme Court had occasion to deal with this question in Rajkumari's ease, AIR 1977 SC 1101, wherein the Court held as follows :
"There are two types of jurisdiction of a Criminal Court, namely, (1) the jurisdiction with respect to the power of the Court to try particular kinds of offences, and (2) its territorial jurisdiction. While the former goes to the root of the matter and any transgression of it makes the entire trial void, the latter is not of a peremptory character and is curable under Section 462, Cr.P.C. (corresponding to Section 531 of the old Act). Territorial jurisdiction is provided "just as a matter of convenience, keeping in mind the administrative point of view with respect to the work of a particular Court, the convenience of the accused who will have to meet the charge levelled against him and the convenience of the witnesses who have to appear before the Court". Sub-section (8) of Section 488 infact provides that proceedings under the Section "may be taken against any person in any district where he resides or is, or where he lasat resided with his wife or, as the case may be, the mother of the illegitimate child".
Thus, the argument that the Court which passed the order has no territorial jurisdiction is not tenable. The Karnataka High Court in Ananth Gopal Pai vs. Gopal Narayan Pai, 1985 Crl. L.J. 152 (Kar.), held that the petitioner can approach the Court within whose jurisdiction he resides as that Court will have the jurisdiction to entertain the claim and deal with it on merits. Therefore, I find that the Judicial Magistrate, Taliparamba has the jurisdiction to entertain the petition as the petitioner is residing with in the jurisdiction of
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