[Citation : 2011(2) RLW 1615 (Raj.)]
(Rajasthan High Court)
Jaipur Bench
Ajay Malik Vs. Smt. Shashi (Rastogi, J.)
HON'BLE ARUN MISHRA, ACTG. CJ.
HON'BLE AJAY RASTOGI, J.
Ajay Malik
Versus
Smt. Shashi
Civil Misc. Appeal No.4559 of 2009, decided on 19.11.2010
Appeal dismissed.
fgUnw fookg vf/kfu;e] 1955] /kkjk 24 ,oa ifjokj U;k;ky; vf/kfu;e] 1984] /kkjk 19 & vkfJrksa dks Hkj.k iks"k.k & iRuh vkSj nks vO;Ld cPps & /kkjk 19¼1½ ds rgr vihy dh iks"k.kh;rk & vfHkfu/kkZfjr & izR;sd fu.kZ; ,oa vkns'k ds fo:) vihy gks ldrh gS ysfdu vUroZrhZ vkns'k ugha gksus ij okn yfEcr jgrs /kkjk 24 ds rgr Hkj.k iks"k.k eatwj djus okyk ikfjokfjd U;k;ky; dk vkns'k vUroZrhZ iz—fr dk gS & vihy iks"k.kh; ughaA ¼in la-½ vihy [kkfjt dhA
Hon'ble RASTOGI, J.—Instant Misc. appeal U/s 19 of the Family Courts Act, 1984 (“Act, 1984”) is directed against interim order dt.04/07/2009 passed by learned Family Court, Kota in Civil Misc. Case No.189/2008 whereby application filed U/s 24 of Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (“HM Act”) was partly allowed granting maintenance @ Rs.1,000/- per month to each of two minor children and Rs.3100/- towards litigation expenses.
2. The parties were married on 28/01/1992 as alleged, according to Hindu rites and customs and out of their wedlock, two children were born. But due to some marital feud & dispute, appellant (husband) filed application U/s 13 of HM Act seeking divorce and pendente divorce petition before Family Court, an application was filed by respondent (wife) U/s 24 of HM Act seeking interim maintenance for herself and two minor children dependent upon her. Taking note of material on record and also the fact that the wife has also certain income source at her own, the learned Family Court considered it appropriate to grant in all Rs.2,000/- per month for two minor children towards interim maintenance pendente divorce petition and Rs.3100/- towards legal expenses in favour of the wife vide order dt. 04/07/2009, which has been assailed herein.
3. Counsel for appellant submits that pendente lite only wife can claim maintenance and the maintenance having been granted to the children U/s 24 of HM Act is wholly wihout jurisdiction.
4. Per contra, Counsel for respondent (wife) submits that misc. appeal U/s 19 of the Act, 1984 itself is not maintainable because the order assailing herein is an interim and interlocutory in nature having been passed U/s 24 of HM Act.
5. That apart, Counsel further submits that children are born out of wedlock of the parties, which has not been controverted by the appellant in such circumstances, children being completely dependent upon mother, the respondent is entitled for pendente lite maintenance for education & maintenance of children and thus, no error has been committed by the learned Family Court while awarding interim maintenance to the tune of Rs.1,000/- per month to each of children.
6. This Court has considered contentions advanced by Counsel for parties, and with their assistance, examined material on record. We find substance in the preliminary objection raised by Counsel for respondent. U/s 19(1) of the Act, 1984 an appeal lies against every judgment or order but not being an interlocutory order of the Family Court to the High Court both on facts and on law. In the instant case, the order impugned has been passed by the learned Family Court granting pendente lite maintenance U/s 24 of HM Act is certainly an interlocutory in nature; in such circumstances, in view of S.19(1) of HM Act, instant misc. appeal is maintainable.
7. Division Bench of this Court in Minor Anu @ Atul vs. Ratan Lal Sharma (1993(2) WLC (Raj) 156 = RLW 1993(1) Raj. 445) examined the scope of S.S.19(1) of Family Court Act, 1984 and observed ad infra:
“11. ...We are of the firm view that any order granting interim main-tenance allowance is an interlocutory order within the meaning of Sub-S.(1) of Section 19 of the Act. The phraseology used in sub-s.(1) of S.19 of the Act unmistakably provides that no appeal shall lie from any judgment or order which is an interlocutory order.The provisions of appeal under S.19 of the Act are stringent by incorporating non-obstante clause therein. Even a revision against an interlocutory order is barred under sub-s.(4) of S.19 of the Act. The legislature in its wisdom thought-fully enacted S.19 with a view to dispose of matrimonial cases as expeditiously as possible. Clear and unambiguous language of S.19(1) admits no other interpretation. Mr. LR Mehta, learned counsel appearing for minor children, when faced with this situation, had to concede fairly and rightly so, that the appeals are not maintainable against the impugned order granting interim maintenance allowance. Mr. Ratan Lal Sharma a
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