1973 Supreme(All) 19
Allahbad High Court
HARISWARUP
Madhvi Sirothia - Appellant
Versus
N. N. Sirothia - Respondent
Decided On : 01/18/1973
Dr. R. Dwivedi, for Applicant; V.C. Srivastava, for Opposite Party.
Headnote:
JURISDICTION - Hindu Marriage Act - The court analyzed the jurisdictional requirement under Section 19 of the Hindu Marriage Act for a petition of restitution of conjugal rights. It emphasized that the Act allows for jurisdiction based on the last residence of the husband and wife, regardless of the duration or purpose of the residence. The court found that the lower court misdirected itself by not considering all relevant circumstances and ordered the petitioner to provide better particulars about the facts mentioned in the petition.
Fact of the Case:
The court analyzed the jurisdictional requirement under Section 19 of the Hindu Marriage Act for a petition of restitution of conjugal rights. It emphasized that the Act allows for jurisdiction based on the last residence of the husband and wife, regardless of the duration or purpose of the residence.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the lower court misdirected itself by not considering all relevant circumstances and ordered the petitioner to provide better particulars about the facts mentioned in the petition.
Issues: Jurisdiction under Section 19 of the Hindu Marriage Act
Ratio Decidendi: The Act allows for jurisdiction based on the last residence of the husband and wife, regardless of the duration or purpose of the residence. The court emphasized that the enjoyment of marital relationship is not a relevant factor in determining if the husband and wife had resided together.
Final Decision: The revision was allowed, the order of the Court below was set aside, and the petitioner was directed to furnish better particulars about the facts mentioned in the petition.
ORDER:- This revision has been filed against the order of the Court below holding that it has jurisdiction to deal with the petition filed under Section 19 of the Hindu Marriage Act for the relief of restitution of conjugal rights and for other reliefs in the alternative. The Court below has held that the husband and wife last resided together in Allahabad and hence. Allahabad Court has jurisdiction. Section 19 of the Hindu Marriage Act provides that a petition under the Act shall be presented to the District Court within the local limits of whose ordinary original civil jurisdiction the marriage was solemnized or the husband and wife reside or had last resided together. Admittedly, neither marriage was solemnized in Allahabad nor husband and wife resided on the date of institution of the petition in Allahabad. The question to be determined was whether husband and wife had last resided together in Allahabad.
2. S. 19 does not deal with the length of residence, even a short residence may be sufficient to give the Court jurisdiction to entertain the petition. The Court below impliedly appears to have thought that residing together must refer to residing together for the purpose of enjoying the marital relationship as husband and wife. Section 19 does not say any such thing. It only refers to their joint residence. If the husband and wife had lived together in the same residence then they must be deemed to have resided together. The enjoyment of marital relationship is not a relevant factor in determining if the husband and wife had resided together. It is the factum of residence and not the purpose of residence that is material. The Court below thus fell into error and misdirected itself in not considering the other circumstances mentioned in the petition.
3. The petitioner in paragraph 4 of the writ petition had mentioned that the wife had withdrawn herself from the society of the petitioner from 16th April. 1965 and had gone to her father's place at Kanpur. In this paragraph he does not mention at what place they had lived together. In paragraph 6 of the petition it was stated that both of them had visited Delhi on or about April 28, 1966. In paragraph 7 to the petition it was stated that the respondent visited the petitioner intermittently from May to August 1966. It is further alleged that when she visited him the petitioner treated her with love and affection and gave her best care and comforts, but the respondent although she lived under the same roof kept herself secluded in different room and refused him access to her bed, In paragraph 8 of the petition it was alleged that the wife left the petitioner alone at Allahabad.
4. The Court below apparently considered only paragraph 4 of the petition and on that basis held that the Allahabad Court had jurisdiction. It also appears to have been led by the bare statement made in paragraph 3 of the petition to the effect that they had cohabited together from 20-5-1964 to 10-6-1964. October 1964 to November 1964 and December 1964 to April 15, 1965. The Court below has held that visit to Delhi did not amount to residing together. But it has failed to consider the effect of allegations made in paragraphs 7 and 8 of the petition which deal with the facts relevant for considering if they had "resided together" from May to August 1966. As the allegations about living together mentioned in paragraphs 7 and 8 come after those mentioned in earlier paragraphs, residence as mentioned in the earlier paras will be irrelevant and the only relevant consideration would be of facts alleged in paragraphs 7 and 8 of the petition. Paragraph 8 also does not in fact talk about residence together. It is paragraph 7 alone which deals with it. Paragraph 7 of the petition runs as under :
"that, thereafter, the respondent visited the petitioner intermittently from May to August 1966. The petitioner always treated her with all the love and affection and gave her the best of care and comforts within the