Imprisonment for maintenance defaults under Section 125 Cr.P.C is capped at one month; enforcement actions are subject to statutory limitations.

ORDER

Dated this the 29th day of June, 2020 In view of the illegality involved in the order under challenge, this Court finds it just and proper to dispense with notice to the respondent as it would prejudice the revision petitioner and perpetrates injustice.

2. The order under challenge before this Court is one passed by Family Court, Tirur on 04.11.2019 in Crl.M.P (Ex.) No.01/2018 in M.C No.150/2016. As per the order passed by the Family Court on 26.09.2017 in M.C No.150/2016, the revision petitioner was directed to pay Rs.5,000/- as monthly maintenance to the respondent. For the reason that an amount of Rs.1,05,000/- is due as arrears of maintenance for a period from 22.03.2016 to 10.12.2017, Crl.M.P was moved before the Family Court by the respondent pressing for execution of the order. Notice was issued to the revision petitioner. Owing to non-appearance of the revision petitioner and non-payment of the sum due as arrears, the Family Court has issued distress warrant for recovery of the amount from the revision petitioner on 04.04.2018. The exercise was totally futile and thereupon the Family Court resorted to remedy the situation by issuing a non bailable warrant against the revision petitioner. The revision petitioner was constrained to appear before the Court on 05.09.2018 and paid Rs.20,000/-. The failure to make the balance remained due caused issuance of non bailable warrant again. In execution of the warrant, the revision petitioner was arrested and produced before the Court. He was asked to explain about his failure to deposit the maintenance amount and to show cause why he shall not be sentenced. On failure of the revision petitioner to explain and show cause, the Family Court had issued an order sentencing him to imprisonment in civil prison for 17 months i.e. one month each for every months' default. The court also clarified in the order that on payment of monthly maintenance of Rs.5,000/-, proportionate sentence for one month shall be reduced but the release from confinement will only be after payment of the arrears of maintenance in full.

3. Being aggrieved by the order, the revision on hand is filed. For the sake of convenience, the parties will be referred to hereinafter as the respondent and the petitioner.

4. It is contended by Sri.Prem Navaz, the learned counsel for the respondent that the order under challenge is illegal and infirm. According to him, by virtue of an order issued by Family Court on 04.11.2019, the respondent has been in confinement in civil prison for the last seven months. According to him, at the time when the impugned order was passed, he was sentenced to imprisonment in civil prison for 17 months, i.e. one month each for each month's default. The learned counsel has invited this Court's attention to the dictum of the Apex Court in Shahada Khatoon Vs. Amjad Ali [2000 KHC 128] , which holds that the Magistrate has no power to impose sentence for more than one month and the wife has every right to approach the court for any further violation or non compliance of the order.

5. Sub-Section (3) of Section 125 Cr.P.C is apposite extraction hereunder to have an idea on the legislative intent behind;

“(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 month's [allowance for the maintenance or the interim maintenance and expenses of proceeding, as the case may be] 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: (emphasis supplied)

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