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NON-REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3658 OF 2018 (Arising out of S.L.P.(c) No. 6301 of 2017)

Sanjay Kumar Sinha            ….Appellant(s)

VERSUS

Asha Kumari & Anr.    ….Respondent(s)

                 J U D G M E N T

Abhay Manohar Sapre, J.

1. Leave granted.

2. This appeal is filed by the husband against the

final judgment and order dated 27.10.2016 passed

by the High Court of Judicature at Patna in CMJC

No.965/2016 whereby the High Court dismissed the

application filed by the appellant herein and upheld

the order dated 15.07.2016 passed by the Principal

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Judge,  Family  Court,  Begusarai  in  Divorce  Case

No.42 of 2010.

3. Few facts need to be mentioned to appreciate

the short issue involved in the appeal.  

4. The dispute is between the husband and wife.

The  appellant  is  the  husband  whereas  the

respondent is the wife.

5. The appellant (husband) has filed the divorce

petition  under  Section  13  of  the  Hindu  Marriage

Act,  1955  (hereinafter  referred  to  as  “the  Act”)

against the respondent (wife) being Divorce Case No.

42/2010 before the Principal Judge, Family Court,

Bagusarai. It is pending for its final disposal.

6. The  respondent  (wife)  filed  an  application

under Section 24 of the Act in the aforesaid Divorce

petition and claimed from the appellant (husband)

pendente lite monthly maintenance for herself and

her daughter. The appellant contested it.

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7.  By order dated 15.07.2016, the  Family Judge

awarded  Rs.8000/-  per  month  to  the  wife  and

Rs.4000/-  per  month  to  her  minor  daughter

towards the maintenance and Rs.2500/- per month

towards the litigation expenses.

8. It may be mentioned here that the respondent

(wife) had also filed one application under Section

125  of  the  Criminal  Procedure  Code,  1973

(hereinafter  referred  to  as  “Cr.P.C”)  seeking

maintenance  before  the  Principal  Judge,  Family

Court, Samastipur. By order dated 03.01.2011, the

Family Judge allowed the application and awarded

Rs.4000/- per month to the wife (petitioner therein)

and Rs.2000/- per month to the daughter towards

the  maintenance  and  Rs.5000/-  towards  the

litigation expenses.   

9. The appellant (husband) felt aggrieved by the

order  dated 15.07.2016 by the Family  Judge and

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filed  civil  miscellaneous  application  in  the  High

Court  at  Patna.  By  impugned  order,  the  Single

Judge upheld the order dated 15.07.2016 of   the

Family  Judge,  Begusarai  and  dismissed  the

application filed by the appellant herein, which has

given rise to filing of the present appeal by way of

special leave before this Court by the husband.

10. Heard Mr. Abhishek Vikas, learned counsel for

the  appellant  and  Mr.  Ranjit  Kumar  Sharma,

learned counsel for the respondents.

11. Having heard learned counsel  for  the parties

and on perusal  of  the  record of  the  case,  we are

inclined to dispose of the appeal finally as under:  

12. First, the Family Court shall decide the main

Divorce  Case  No.  42/2010  preferably  within  6

months on merits.  

13. Second,  consequent  upon  passing  of  the

maintenance order dated 15.07.2016 under Section

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24 of the Act by the Family Court, the order passed

by the Family Court, Samastipur under Section 125

of  Cr.P.C.  stands  superseded  and  now  no  longer

holds the field.  Indeed, this fact was conceded by

the  learned  counsel  appearing  for  the  respondent

(wife).   

14. Third,  the  appellant  (husband)  shall,  during

pendency of main divorce case, continue to pay in

cash  a  sum of  Rs.8000/-  p.m.  (Rs.6000/-  to  the

wife  and  Rs.2000/-  to  the  daughter)  and  for  the

balanced sum, i.e.,  Rs.4000/- p.m.,  the  appellant

would furnish security.  

15.  Fourth, depending upon the outcome of the

main case,  appropriate  orders towards permanent

maintenance and its arrears be also passed.   

16. Fifth,  the  arrears  towards  monthly

maintenance  be  paid  by  the  appellant  to  the

respondent (wife) within one month from the date of

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this  order,  if  any,  at  the  rate  fixed by this  Court

above.

17. Sixth,  payment  of  monthly  maintenance

amount, as fixed by this Court, be paid on 1st  of

every month by the appellant to the respondent.  

18. Seventh, security for  the balance amount (at

the  rate  of  Rs.4000/-  per  month)  be  furnished

within one month to the satisfaction of the Family

Judge  after  calculating  the  monthly  maintenance

and arrears liability.  

19. Parties are at liberty to adduce evidence on the

issue  of  grant  of  permanent  maintenance  in  the

main case.

20. Parties are also granted liberty to mediate and

settle  the  issue  amicably  by  appearing  before  the

Family  Court  and  if  the  issue  is  not  settled

amicably,  the  Family  Court  would  decide  it  on

merits, as directed above.

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21. We  have  not  expressed  any  opinion  on  the

merits of the issue and, therefore, the Family Court

will decide the case, without being influenced by our

order, only on the basis of pleadings and evidence

adduced by the parties in the main case.

22. With  these  directions,  the  appeal  stands

disposed of.   

………...................................J. [R.K. AGRAWAL]

                                     …...……..................................J.

        [ABHAY MANOHAR SAPRE] New Delhi; April 09, 2018