The main legal point established in the judgment is that the trial Court must resort to coercive measures for the recovery of maintenance allowance arrears before ordering the arrest of the defaulter.

1. In proceedings under S. 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, Smt. Vidya Devi was awarded maintenance allowance at the rate of Rs. 150.00 per month for herself and Rs. 100.00 per month for her minor daughter against her husband Om Parkash from the date of application, i.e., 9-5-1984. It is not disputed that the order of the Judicial Magistrate has become final as the revision petition filed against it has since been dismissed by the Additional Sessions Judge and petition under S. 482 of the Code was also dismissed by the High Court in Cr. Misc. 4919-M of 1989. OM Parkash, husband or the father, as the case may be, failed to pay the amount of maintenance allowance to his wife and daughter which resulted in taking execution proceedings by Vidya Devi respondent against him. On 25-1-1990, Om Parkash, the husband failed to turn up before the Court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kurukshetra, despite service inferred from the refusal to accept service. The trial Court under these circumstances, ordered the arrest of Om Parkash, and issued conditional warrants of arrest for 16-2-1990 stating that if he pays Rs. 15,500.00 as arrears of maintenance allowance he shall not be arrested. Aggrieved against this order, the husband-petitioner has invoked the inherent jurisdiction of this Court under S. 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, contending that without exhausing coercive methods provided under S. 421 of the Code of Criminal Procedure like attachment of property etc. etc., the arrest of the petitioner could not be ordered.

2. I have heard the learned counsel for the parties besides perusing the record.

3. The provisions of sub-section (3) of S. 125 of the Code read as under:-

"(3) If any person so ordered fails without sufficient cause to comply with the order, any such Magistrate may, for every breach of the order, issue a warrant for levying the amount due in the manner provided for levying fines, and may sentence such person, for the whole or any part of each months allowance remaining unpaid after the execution of the warrant, to imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or until payment if sooner made; Provided that no warrant shall be issued for the recovery of any amount due under this section unless application be made to the Court to levy such amount within a period of one year from the date on which it became due.

Provided further that if such person offers to maintain his wife on condition of her living with him and she refused to live with him, such Magistrate may consider any grounds of refusal stated by her, and may make order under this section notwithstanding such offer, if he is satisfied that there is just ground for so doing.

Explanation: If a husband has contracted marriage with another woman or keeps a mistress it shall be considered to be just ground for the wifes refusal to live with him."

A bare glance through the same leaves no doubt that if any person fails to comply with the order of the Magistrate to pay maintenance allowance without sufficient cause, such Magistrate may issue warrant for levying the amount due in the manner provided for levying fines and may sentence such person for the whole or any part of each months allowance remaining unpaid after the execution of the warrant, to imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or until payment if sooner made.

4. The procedure for levying fine is contained in S. 421 of the Code of Criminal Procedure which reads as under:-

"421. Warrant for levy of fine. (1) When an offender has been sentenced to pay a fine, the Court passing the sentence may take action for the recovery of the fine in either or both of the following ways, that is to say, it may- (a) issue a warrant for the levy of the amount by attachment and sale of movable property belonging to the offender.

(b) issue a warrant to the Collector of the district, authorising him to realise the amount as arrears of land revenue from the movable or immov