While the husband had filed the petition in Crl.O.P.No.10089 of 2017 seeking for quashing the maintenance case in M.C.No.38 of 2017 on the file of the learned Additional Judge, Family Court, Coimbatore preferred by the respondent/wife, Crl.O.P.No.27507 of 2017 has been filed by the wife seeking for an expeditious disposal of her petition in MC.No.38 of 2017.

2. Heard Ms.V.S.Usha Rani, learned counsel for the wife and Mr.R.Baskar, learned counsel for the husband.

3. For the sake of convenience, the facts revealed in Crl.O.P.No.10089 of 2017 is being addressed to. The marriage between the petitioner and the respondent herein was performed on 25.05.2014. After brief stay together for less than two months, both the parties had separated. According to the petitioner, the respondent had left the matrimonial house on 13.07.2014. During their estranged relationship, the petitioner herein left the country on 14.02.2015 in connection with his employment.

4. It is in connection with the estranged relationship, the respondent herein had filed a complaint under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2000 in DVA.No.27 of 2016 seeking for various reliefs including the relief of monthly maintenance, in which the respondent's husband and in-laws were made as party respondents. On receipt of summons in the domestic violence case for the complaint dated 25.05.2016, the petitioner/husband herein moved a quash petition in Crl.O.P.No.2972 of 2017, which is pending against the petitioner herein.

5. But, would the aggrieved person be entitled to claim maintenance simultaneously under the provisions of Code of Criminal Procedure Code as well as Domestic Violence Act for the same cause of action? The scheme of Domestic Violence Act is to provide for an effective protection of the lives of women guaranteed under the Constitution, who are the victims of violence of any kind occurring within the Family for incidental matters. Section 125 Cr.P.C., empowers the Magistrate to order for maintenance when it is established that the person having sufficient means, neglects or refuses to maintain his wife. Whenever such an order of maintenance is passed under Section 125 Cr.P.C., and in the given circumstances, the aggrieved person is of the view that there has been further acts of domestic violence, incurring expenses and loss, the order already passed under Section 125 Cr.P.C., will not preclude the aggrieved person in invoking the provision under Section 20 of the Domestic Violence Act. However, when the aggrieved person has invoked the provisions of Section 125 Cr.P.C., on a set of cause of action or refusal to maintain, it would not be permissible for her to invoke Section 20 of the Domestic Violence Act for the same cause of action, pleading that she had incurred expenses and losses owing to these same acts of domestic violence and thereby claim additional maintenance. The language deployed under Section 20(1)(d) is only for the purpose of enabling the aggrieved person to seek for maintenance when there has been further acts of domestic violence, pursuant to an order passed under Section 125 Cr.P.C., whereby she incurs expenses or losses as a result of the domestic violence. It is with this object that Section 20(1) of the Domestic Violence Act has been enacted and by no stretch of imagination can it be said that a wife can simultaneously claim maintenance before two forums, on the same set of cause of actions, under the Code of Criminal Procedure Code as well as the Domestic Violence Act. Such parallel and simultaneous proceedings would not only be illegal but also would amount to an abuse of process of law. In the judgment relied upon by the learned counsel for the petitioner reported in 2015 (4) LW 545 [B.Prakash V. Deepa and another], this Court had observed as follows:-

“17.The next question, which arises for consideration, is as to whether an order for maintenance made by a Magistrate under Section 125 of the Code, shall be a bar for a