IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI
SUBHASH CHAND, J.
Dinesh Kumar Mahto @ Dinesh Kumar Mahato - Petitioner
Versus
The State of Jharkhand and Anr. - Opp. Parties
Criminal Revision No.440 of 2022
Decided On : 04-08-2023
Maintenance - Family Law - Section 125 Cr.P.C. - [125(4)] - The court allowed the maintenance application filed by the wife under Section 125 Cr.P.C. and directed the husband to pay Rs.10,000 per month as maintenance from the date of application. The husband filed a criminal revision challenging the order, claiming that the wife refused to live with him without sufficient reason and that he was ready to keep her with full dignity. The court found in favor of the husband, holding that the wife had withdrawn herself from the husband's society without reasonable excuse and refused to live with him, thus not entitled to maintenance.
Fact of the Case:
The wife filed a maintenance application under Section 125 Cr.P.C. against her husband, alleging torture and ousting from the matrimonial house. The husband contested, claiming the application was not maintainable as the wife had left the house without reason and he was willing to keep her with dignity. Witnesses testified to the wife's mistreatment and the husband's income and efforts to reconcile.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the wife had withdrawn from the husband's society without reasonable excuse and refused to live with him, as evidenced by the decree for restitution of conjugal rights in favor of the husband. Therefore, the wife was not entitled to maintenance.
Issues: Whether the wife refused to live with her husband without sufficient reason and the amount of maintenance entitled to the wife.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the wife's withdrawal from the husband's society without reasonable excuse, as established by the decree for restitution of conjugal rights, rendered her not entitled to maintenance.
Final Decision: The criminal revision was allowed, and the order for maintenance was quashed and set aside.
JUDGMENT :
1. This criminal revision has been preferred on behalf of the petitioner against the judgment dated 15th February, 2022 passed by the learned Principal Judge, Family Court, Dhanbad in Original Maintenance Case No.454 of 2019, whereby and whereunder the application filed by the Opposite Party No.2 – Rina Kumari under Section 125 Cr.P.C. was allowed and the petitioner was directed to pay 10,000/- per month as maintenance on 10th day of each succeeding month. It was further ordered that the maintenance amount would be payable from the date of application i.e., from 3rd August, 2019.
2. The brief facts leading to this criminal revision are that maintenance application was moved on behalf of the Rina Kumari @ Rina Devi @ Reena Mahato (the Opposite Party No.2 in this case) under Section 125 Cr.P.C. against her husband – Dinesh Kumar Mahato (the petitioner in this case) on the averments that she is a legally wedded wife of Dinesh Kumar Mahato resident of Jhabri, P.O., Jhabri, P.S. Silli, District-Ranchi. After her marriage she went to her in-law’s house and lived there peacefully for a week only. After that her husband and her in-laws began to torture her and finally on 28th August, 2015, she was ousted from the matrimonial house and, since, then she had been residing at her parental house having no source of income. It is further averred that she is unable to maintain herself, to the contrary her husband is a government employee and earns Rs.50,000/- per month from salary, Rs.25,000/- per month from agriculture and Rs.20,000/- per month from other sources. Therefore, prayed for the amount of Rs.25,000/- per month as maintenance.
On behalf of the respondent – husband the written statement was filed on 28th January, 2020, wherein he admitted the date of marriage and averred that the maintenance application is not maintainable in the eyes of law reason being on 22nd August, 2015, it was petitioner (the O.P. No.2 in this case) herself, who left the matrimonial house without rhyme and reason. In spite of several requests made by the respondent – husband, she did not come back to the matrimonial house, rather she misbehaved with him. It is also further averred that he was ready and willing to settle the dispute but the petitioner had denied the same once for all. Lastly, it is also averred that he is still ready and willing to keep her with full dignity.
3. On behalf of the petitioner (Opposite Party No.2 in this case) in oral evidence examined P.W.-1 Rina Mahato, P.W.2 Sukhen Roy and P.W.-3 Dilip Kumar Mahato and in documentary evidence adduced the certified copy of plaint of C.P. Case No.3270 of 2018 as Ext.1, photocopy of letter no.106 dated 4th February, 2020 of Electricity Executive Engineer as Ext.2 and pay slip Ext.3 and for identification, Adhar Card and Pan Card of Balram Singh as Ext. X & X/1 and certified copy of plaint of C.P. Case No.1988 of 2020 as Ext.B for identification.
4. On behalf of the respondent (the petitioner in this case) in oral evidence examined R.W.-1 Dinesh Kumar Mahato.
5. The learned Family Court after hearing the learned counsel for the parties allowed the application under Section 125 Cr.P.C. and the respondent (the petitioner herein) was directed to pay the amount of Rs.10,000/- per month to the Opposite Party No.2 which was to be paid on 10th day of each succeeding month. It was also directed that the said amount was to be paid from the filing of the maintenance application i.e., 3rd August, 2019.
6. Aggrieved from the impugned order dated 15th February, 2022, this criminal revision is preferred on behalf of the petitioner – husband on the grounds that the impugned judgment passed by the learned Family Court is bad in the eyes of law. The learned Family Court did not consider the actual income of the petitioner/husband and without taking into account the liability of the petitioner has passed the impugned order. The Opposite Party No.2 (the wife of the petitioner) is graduate and she has been
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.
A wife must demonstrate sufficient reason to refuse cohabitation with her husband to be entitled to maintenance under Section 125 of the Cr.P.C.
Award of maintenance – Wife is not entitled for maintenance where she has been refusing to reside with her husband without any reason.
A wife is not entitled to maintenance under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure if she leaves her husband without reasonable cause, as established by the court's interpretation of the evide....
Wife entitled to maintenance under Section 125 CrPC where husband fails to prove adultery or unjust refusal to cohabit; award upheld based on evidence of husband's business/land income contra labour ....
The main legal point established is that under section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a spouse who is capable of maintaining themselves may be denied maintenance allowance, but the responsibi....
A wife who voluntarily separates from her husband without sufficient cause is not entitled to maintenance under Section 125(4) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Proper consideration of the issue of adultery is essential in determining a wife's entitlement to maintenance under section 125(4) of Cr.P.C.
A husband must ensure his wife’s financial support and maintain her standard of living unless he proves his inability to earn, as emphasized under Section 125 Cr.P.C. and the Domestic Violence Act.
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