IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI
Anubha Rawat Choudhary, J.
Binod Kumar Singh - Petitioner
Versus
Smt. Sushma Devi, W/o Binod Kumar Singh and ors. – Respondents
Cr. Revision No. 20 of 2021, Cr. Appeal (S.J.) No. 492 of 2016
Decided On : 05-12-2022
Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Section 498-A – Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 – Section 125, 340 –Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 – Section ¾ - Criminal Appeal – Opposite party claiming – Charge-sheet – Criminal case – Demanded money for construction of house – Held, Parties are directed to appear before learned court below along with the affidavit in terms of judgment passed by Hon’ble Supreme Court in case – Learned court below is directed to proceed in accordance with law in terms of judgment passed by Hon’ble Supreme Court in case – Considering the fact that much time has elapsed, learned court below shall make all endeavour to pass a final decision on point of quantum of maintenance within a period from date of appearance of parties – In view of the aforesaid findings, impugned order is sustained only to extent it holds that for purposes of proceedings before learned court below under section 125 Cr.P.C. is legally wedded wife of petitioner and applicant no.2 is son and petitioner, but matter is remanded to learned court below only for determination on point of quantum of maintenance and her son in terms of aforesaid observations and directions – Criminal revision petition disposed of.
JUDGMENT :
1. Heard Mr. Binod Kumar Singh appearing in person on behalf of the petitioner in the criminal revision and the appellant in criminal appeal.
2. Heard Mr. Yogesh Modi, learned counsel appearing as Amicus on behalf of both the private respondents in both the cases.
3. Heard Mr. Jitendra Pandey, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the State in Cr. Appeal.
4. Heard Ms. Sushma Devi, appearing in person for the opposite parties/private respondents.
5. Criminal Revision No. 20 of 2021 has been filed against the judgment dated 15.12.2020 passed in Original Maintenance Case No. 142/2007 under Section 125 of Cr. P.C. by the learned Principal Judge, Family Court, Ranchi, whereby the petition filed by the private opposite parties has been allowed and the petitioner has been directed to pay maintenance of Rs. 6,000/- per month to the opposite party claimed to be the wife and Rs. 4,000/- per month to the opposite party claiming to be the son with a further direction to pay the arrears of maintenance within a period of 4 months from the date of the passing of the judgment.
6. So far as the Criminal Appeal is concerned, the same has been filed challenging the order dated 06.04.2016, whereby the petition dated 19.03.2016 filed on behalf of the present appellant (opposite party before the learned court below) for initiating a proceeding under Section 340 of Cr. P.C. alleging filing of forged and fabricated documents before the learned court below, has been rejected.
Background of the case:-
7. Both the cases arise out of Original Maintenance Case No. 142/2007 and therefore they have been tagged and have been heard together.
8. A petition under Section 125 of Cr.P.C. was filed by Sushma Devi against the petitioner for grant of maintenance for herself @ Rs. 2,000/- per month and @ Rs. 1,500/- per month for her son who was the co-applicant before the learned court below. The case was filed on 21.11.2007.
9. Sushma Devi claimed herself to be the legally wedded wife of the petitioner and claimed that the marriage was solemnized on 16.08.2003 in Kali Mandir situated at Toliganj, Kolkata in presence of parties and friends under Hindu Customary rites and the said marriage was registered in the office of Shyamal Ghosh, Daftidar, Registrar Hindu Marriage, North Station Road, Agrapara, Kolkata and there were three witnesses to the marriage. The application for registration was submitted with signature of both the parties in the said office on 06.09.2003.
10. After marriage, they started living as husband and wife and were blessed with a son, Prateek Kumar. She had lived in her in-laws house for one and a half year and thereafter there was a demand of dowry and she was subjected to physical and mental torture and in order to save her life, she left her matrimonial home in the month of July, 2005 and thereafter she lived at her father’s house up to two years and four months. She had also lodged one case being Sukhdeonagar P.S. Case No. 209/2004 on 28.04.2004 under Section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3/4 of Dowry Prohibition Act and thereafter petitioner started contacting her for withdrawal of the case and ultimately the petitioner consoled her by giving in writing to the police authority that in case applicant withdrew the case he will not solemnize second marriage. It was also mentioned that undertaking was given voluntarily and without pressure.
11. Thereafter the case was finalized and the police submitted the final form and after that the present petitioner again threatened her for dowry and solemnization of second marriage for which another case being Sukhdeonagar P.S. Case No. 336 of 2006 under Sections 498-A, 494 was lodged. The charge-sheet was submitted and the said criminal case is pending. Further case of Sushma Devi was that she had also given one motorcycle, chain and finger ring etc. and also gave money for construction of boundary and gave Rs. 2,00,000/- to the petitioner and his father who demanded money for construction
Ashok Kumar Versus Raj Gupta and Others
Lalita Toppo versus State of Jharkhand and another
Rajnesh Vs. Neha reported in (2021) 2 SCC 324
Savitaben Somabhai Bhatiya versus State of Gujarat and Others
Yamunabhai Anantrao Adhav versus Anantrao Shivram Adhav and another
Wife and legitimate child are entitled to maintenance unless proven living in adultery, with allegations requiring strong substantiation.
The main legal point established is that a wife is not entitled to maintenance under Section 125 Cr.P.C. if she refuses to live with her husband without sufficient reason.
The term ‘wife’ in Section 125 of the Code includes a woman who has been divorced by her husband or who has obtained a divorce from her husband and has not remarried. A woman not having the legal sta....
Maintenance – An able-bodied young man has to be presumed to be capable of earning sufficient money so as to be able to reasonably maintain his wife and children.
The judgment emphasizes the duty to prevent destitution and vagrancy, the need for evidence to establish income, and the balancing of interests and financial capacity in determining maintenance under....
Court affirmed the existence of marriage despite respondent's denial and adjusted maintenance amount based on financial circumstances of both parties.
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