Page 1 REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NOS.564-565 OF 2015

[Arising out of SLP (Crl.) Nos. 6380-6381 of 2014]

SHAMIMA FAROOQUI ... Appellant

Versus

SHAHID KHAN ... Respondent

J U D G M E N T

Dipak Misra, J.

Leave granted.

2.When centuries old obstructions are removed, age old

shackles are either burnt or lost their force, the chains get

rusted, and the human endowments and virtues are not

indifferently treated and emphasis is laid on “free identity”

and not on “annexed identity”, and the women of today can

gracefully and boldly assert their legal rights and refuse to

be tied down to the obscurant conservatism, and further

determined to ostracize the “principle of commodity”, and

Page 2 2

the “barter system” to devoutly engage themselves in

learning, criticizing and professing certain principles with

committed sensibility and participating in all pertinent and

concerned issues, there is no warrant or justification or need

to pave the innovative multi-avenues which the law does

not countenance or give its stamp of approval. Chivalry, a

perverse sense of human egotism, and clutching of feudal

megalomaniac ideas or for that matter, any kind of

condescending attitude have no room. They are bound to

be sent to the ancient woods, and in the new horizon people

should proclaim their own ideas and authority. They should

be able to say that they are the persons of modern age and

they have the ideas of today’s “Bharat”. Any other idea

floated or any song sung in the invocation of male

chauvinism is the proposition of an alien, a total stranger –

an outsider. That is the truth in essentiality.

3.The facts which are requisite to be stated for

adjudication of these appeals are that the appellant filed an

application under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal

Procedure (CrPC) contending, inter alia, that she married

Shahid Khan, the respondent herein, on 26.4.1992 and

Page 3 3

during her stay at the matrimonial home she was prohibited

from talking to others, and the husband not only demanded

a car from the family but also started harassing her. A time

came when he sent her to the parental home where she was

compelled to stay for almost three months. The indifferent

husband did not come to take her back to the matrimonial

home, but she returned with the fond and firm hope that the

bond of wedlock would be sustained and cemented with

love and peace but as the misfortune would have it, the

demand for the vehicle continued and the harassment was

used as a weapon for fulfilment of the demand. In due

course she came to learn that the husband had illicit

relationship with another woman and he wanted to marry

her. Usual to sense of human curiosity and wife’s right

when she asked him she was assaulted. The situation

gradually worsened and it became unbearable for her to

stay at the matrimonial home. At that juncture, she sought

help of her parents who came and took her to the parental

home at Lucknow where she availed treatment. Being

deserted and ill-treated and, in a way, suffering from fear

psychosis she took shelter in the house of her parents and

Page 4 4

when all her hopes got shattered for reunion, she filed an

application for grant of maintenance at the rate of Rs.4000/-

per month on the foundation that husband was working on

the post of Nayak in the Army and getting a salary of

Rs.10,000/- approximately apart from other perks.

4.The application for grant of maintenance was resisted

with immense vigour by the husband disputing all the

averments pertaining to demand of dowry and harassment

and further alleging that he had already given divorce to her

on 18.6.1997 and has also paid the Mehar to her.

5.A reply was filed to the same by wife asserting that she

had neither the knowledge of divorce nor had she received

an amount of Mehar.

6.During the proceeding before the learned Family Judge

the wife-appellant examined herself and another, and the

respondent-husband examined four witnesses, including

himself. The learned Family Judge, Family Court, Lucknow

while dealing with the application forming the subject

matter Criminal Case No. 1120 of 1998 did not accept the

primary objection as regards the maintainability under

Section 125 CrPC as the applicant was a Muslim woman and

Page 5 5

came to hold even after the divorce the application of the

wife under Section 125 CrPC was maintainable in the family

court. Thereafter, the learned Family Judge appreciating

the evidence brought on record came to opine that the

marriage between the parties had taken place on 26.4.1992;

that the husband had given divorce on 18.6.1997; that she

was ill treated at her matrimonial home; and that she had

come back to her parental house and staying there; that the

husband had not made any provision for grant of

maintenance; that the wife did not have any source of

income to support her, and the plea advanced by the

husband that she had means to sustain her had not been

proved; that as the husband was getting at the time of

disposal of the application as per the salary certificate

Rs.17654/- and accordingly directed that a sum of Rs.2500/-

should be paid as monthly maintenance allowance from the

date of submission of application till the date of judgment

and thereafter Rs.4000/- per month from the date of

judgment till the date of remarriage.

7.The aforesaid order passed by the learned Family

Judge came to be assailed before the High Court in Criminal

Page 6 6

Revision wherein, the High Court after adumbrating the

facts referred to the decisions in Anita Rani v. Rakeshpal

Singh

1

, Dharmendra Kumar Gupta v. Chander Prabha

Devi

2

, Rakesh Kumar Dikshit v. Jayanti Devi

3

,

Ashutosh Tripathi v. State of U.P.

4

, Paras Nath Kurmi

v. The Session Judge

5

and Sartaj v. State of U.P. and

others

6

and came to hold that though the learned principal

Judge, Family Court had not ascribed any reason for grant of

maintenance from the date of application, yet when the

case for maintenance was filed in the year 1998 decided on

17.2.2012 and there was no order for interim maintenance,

the grant of Rs.2500/- as monthly maintenance from the

date of application was neither illegal nor excessive. The

High Court took note of the fact that the husband had

retired on 1.4.2012 and consequently reduced the

maintenance allowance to Rs.2000/-from 1.4.2012 till

remarriage of the appellant herein. Being of this view the

learned Single Judge modified the order passed by the

1

1991 (2) Crimes 725 (All)

2

1990 Cr.L.J. 1884

3

1999 (2) JIC, 323 (ACC)

4

1999 (2) 763, Allahabad J.I.C

5

1999 (2) JIC 522 All

6

2000 (2) JIC 967 All

Page 7 7

Family Court. Hence, the present appeal by special leave,

at the instance of the wife.

8.We have heard Dr. J.N. Dubey, learned senior counsel

for the appellant. Despite service of notice, none has

appeared for the respondent.

9.It is submitted by Dr. Dubey, learned senior counsel

that Section 125 CrPC is applicable to the Muslim women

and the Family Court has jurisdiction to decide the issue. It

is urged by him that the High Court has fallen into error by

opining that the grant of maintenance at the rate of

Rs.4,000/- per month is excessive and hence, it should be

reduced to Rs.2000/- per month from the date of retirement

of the husband i.e. 1.4.2012 till her re-marriage. It is also

contended that the High Court failed to appreciate the plight

of the appellant and reduced the amount and hence, the

impugned order is not supportable in law.

10.First of all, we intend to deal with the applicability of

Section 125 CrPC to a Muslim woman who has been

divorced. In Shamim Bano v. Asraf Khan

7

, this Court

after referring to the Constitution Bench decisions in Danial

7

(2014) 12 SCC 636

Page 8 8

Latifi v. Union of India

8

and Khatoon Nisa v. State of

U.P.

9

had opined as follows:-

“13. The aforesaid principle clearly lays down that

even after an application has been filed under the

provisions of the Act, the Magistrate under the Act

has the power to grant maintenance in favour of a

divorced Muslim woman and the parameters and

the considerations are the same as stipulated in

Section 125 of the Code. We may note that while

taking note of the factual score to the effect that

the plea of divorce was not accepted by the

Magistrate which was upheld by the High Court,

the Constitution Bench opined that as the

Magistrate could exercise power under Section

125 of the Code for grant of maintenance in

favour of a divorced Muslim woman under the Act,

the order did not warrant any interference. Thus,

the emphasis was laid on the retention of the

power by the Magistrate under Section 125 of the

Code and the effect of ultimate consequence.

14. Slightly recently, in Shabana Bano v. Imran

Khan

10

, a two-Judge Bench, placing reliance on

Danial Latifi (supra), has ruled that:-

“21. The appellant’s petition under

Section 125 CrPC would be maintainable

before the Family Court as long as the

appellant does not remarry. The amount

of maintenance to be awarded under

Section 125 CrPC cannot be restricted for

the iddat period only.”

Though the aforesaid decision was rendered

interpreting Section 7 of the Family Courts Act,

1984, yet the principle stated therein would be

applicable, for the same is in consonance with the

8

(2001) 7 SCC 740

9

(2014) 12 SCC 646

10

(2010) 1 SCC 666

Page 9 9

principle stated by the Constitution Bench in

Khatoon Nisa (supra).”

In view of the aforesaid dictum, there can be no

shadow of doubt that Section 125 CrPC has been rightly held

to be applicable by the learned Family Judge.

11.On a perusal of the order passed by the Family Court, it

is manifest that it has taken note of the fact that the salary

of the husband was Rs.17,654/- in May, 2009. It had fixed

Rs.2,500/- as monthly maintenance from the date of

submission of application till the date of order i.e. 17.2.2012

and from the date of order, at the rate of Rs.4,000/- per

month till the date of remarriage. The High Court has

opined that while granting maintenance from the date of

application, judicial discretion has to be appropriately

exercised, for the High Court has noted that the grant of

maintenance at the rate of Rs.2,500/- per month from the

date of application till date of order, did not call for

modification.

12.The aforesaid finding of the High Court, affirming the

view of the learned Family Judge is absolutely correct. But

what is disturbing is that though the application for grant of

Page 10 10

maintenance was filed in the year 1998, it was not decided

till 17.2.2012. It is also shocking to note that there was no

order for grant of interim maintenance. It needs no special

emphasis to state that when an application for grant of

maintenance is filed by the wife the delay in disposal of the

application, to say the least, is an unacceptable situation. It

is, in fact, a distressing phenomenon. An application for

grant of maintenance has to be disposed of at the earliest.

The family courts, which have been established to deal with

the matrimonial disputes, which include application under

Section 125 CrPC, have become absolutely apathetic to the

same. The concern and anguish that was expressed by this

Court in Bhuwan Mohan Singh v. Meena and Ors.

11

, is

to the following effect:-

“13. The Family Courts have been established for

adopting and facilitating the conciliation

procedure and to deal with family disputes in a

speedy and expeditious manner. A three-Judge

Bench in K.A. Abdul Jaleel v. T.A. Shahida

12

,

while highlighting on the purpose of bringing in

the Family Courts Act by the legislature, opined

thus:-

“The Family Courts Act was enacted to

provide for the establishment of Family

Courts with a view to promote conciliation

11

AIR 2014 SC 2875

12

(2003) 4 SCC 166

Page 11 11

in, and secure speedy settlement of,

disputes relating to marriage and family

affairs and for matters connected

therewith.”

14. The purpose of highlighting this aspect is that

in the case at hand the proceeding before the

Family Court was conducted without being alive to

the objects and reasons of the Act and the spirit

of the provisions Under Section 125 of the Code. It

is unfortunate that the case continued for nine

years before the Family Court. It has come to the

notice of the Court that on certain occasions the

Family Courts have been granting adjournments

in a routine manner as a consequence of which

both the parties suffer or, on certain occasions,

the wife becomes the worst victim. When such a

situation occurs, the purpose of the law gets

totally atrophied. The Family Judge is expected to

be sensitive to the issues, for he is dealing with

extremely delicate and sensitive issues pertaining

to the marriage and issues ancillary thereto.

When we say this, we do not mean that the

Family Courts should show undue haste or

impatience, but there is a distinction between

impatience and to be wisely anxious and

conscious about dealing with a situation. A Family

Court Judge should remember that the

procrastination is the greatest assassin of the lis

before it. It not only gives rise to more family

problems but also gradually builds unthinkable

and Everestine bitterness. It leads to the cold

refrigeration of the hidden feelings, if still left. The

delineation of the lis by the Family Judge must

reveal the awareness and balance. Dilatory tactics

by any of the parties has to be sternly dealt with,

for the Family Court Judge has to be alive to the

fact that the lis before him pertains to emotional

fragmentation and delay can feed it to grow. We

hope and trust that the Family Court Judges shall

remain alert to this and decide the matters as

expeditiously as possible keeping in view the

objects and reasons of the Act and the scheme of

Page 12 12

various provisions pertaining to grant of

maintenance, divorce, custody of child, property

disputes, etc.” [emphasis

supplied]

13.When the aforesaid anguish was expressed, the

predicament was not expected to be removed with any kind

of magic. However, the fact remains, these litigations can

really corrode the human relationship not only today but will

also have the impact for years to come and has the

potentiality to take a toll on the society. It occurs either due

to the uncontrolled design of the parties or the lethargy and

apathy shown by the Judges who man the Family Courts.

As far as the first aspect is concerned, it is the duty of the

Courts to curtail them. There need not be hurry but

procrastination should not be manifest, reflecting the

attitude of the Court. As regards the second facet, it is the

duty of the Court to have the complete control over the

proceeding and not permit the lis to swim the unpredictable

grand river of time without knowing when shall it land on

the shores or take shelter in a corner tree that stands “still”

on some unknown bank of the river. It cannot allow it to

sing the song of the brook. “Men may come and men may

go, but I go on for ever.” This would be the greatest tragedy

Page 13 13

that can happen to the adjudicating system which is

required to deal with most sensitive matters between the

man and wife or other family members relating to

matrimonial and domestic affairs. There has to be a pro-

active approach in this regard and the said approach should

be instilled in the Family Court Judges by the Judicial

Academies functioning under the High Courts. For the

present, we say no more.

14.Coming to the reduction of quantum by the High Court,

it is noticed that the High Court has shown immense

sympathy to the husband by reducing the amount after his

retirement. It has come on record that the husband was

getting a monthly salary of Rs.17,654/-.

15.The High Court, without indicating any reason, has

reduced the monthly maintenance allowance to Rs.2,000/-.

In today’s world, it is extremely difficult to conceive that a

woman of her status would be in a position to manage

within Rs.2,000/- per month. It can never be forgotten that

the inherent and fundamental principle behind Section 125

CrPC is for amelioration of the financial state of affairs as

well as mental agony and anguish that woman suffers when

Page 14 14

she is compelled to leave her matrimonial home. The

statute commands there has to be some acceptable

arrangements so that she can sustain herself. The principle

of sustenance gets more heightened when the children are

with her. Be it clarified that sustenance does not mean and

can never allow to mean a mere survival. A woman, who is

constrained to leave the marital home, should not be

allowed to feel that she has fallen from grace and move

hither and thither arranging for sustenance. As per law, she

is entitled to lead a life in the similar manner as she would

have lived in the house of her husband. And that is where

the status and strata of the husband comes into play and

that is where the legal obligation of the husband becomes a

prominent one. As long as the wife is held entitled to grant

of maintenance within the parameters of Section 125 CrPC,

it has to be adequate so that she can live with dignity as she

would have lived in her matrimonial home. She cannot be

compelled to become a destitute or a beggar. There can be

no shadow of doubt that an order under Section 125 CrPC

can be passed if a person despite having sufficient means

neglects or refuses to maintain the wife. Sometimes, a plea

Page 15 15

is advanced by the husband that he does not have the

means to pay, for he does not have a job or his business is

not doing well. These are only bald excuses and, in fact,

they have no acceptability in law. If the husband is healthy,

able bodied and is in a position to support himself, he is

under the legal obligation to support his wife, for wife’s right

to receive maintenance under Section 125 CrPC, unless

disqualified, is an absolute right. While determining the

quantum of maintenance, this Court in Jabsir Kaur Sehgal

v. District Judge Dehradun & Ors .

13

has held as follows:-

“The court has to consider the status of the

parties, their respective needs, the capacity of the

husband to pay having regard to his reasonable

expenses for his own maintenance and of those he

is obliged under the law and statutory but

involuntary payments or deductions. The amount

of maintenance fixed for the wife should be such

as she can live in reasonable comfort considering

her status and the mode of life she was used to

when she lived with her husband and also that she

does not feel handicapped in the prosecution of

her case. At the same time, the amount so fixed

cannot be excessive or extortionate.”

16.Grant of maintenance to wife has been perceived as a

measure of social justice by this Court. In Chaturbhuj v.

Sita Bai

14

, it has been ruled that:-

13

(1997) 7 SCC 7

14

(2008) 2 SCC 316

Page 16 16

“Section 125 CrPC is a measure of social justice

and is specially enacted to protect women and

children and as noted by this Court in Captain

Ramesh Chander Kaushal v. Veena Kaushal

15

falls

within constitutional sweep of Article 15(3)

reinforced by Article 39 of the Constitution of

India. It is meant to achieve a social purpose. The

object is to prevent vagrancy and destitution. It

provides a speedy remedy for the supply of food,

clothing and shelter to the deserted wife. It gives

effect to fundamental rights and natural duties of

a man to maintain his wife, children and parents

when they are unable to maintain themselves. The

aforesaid position was highlighted in Savitaben

Somabhai Bhatiya v. State of Gujarat

16

.”

This being the position in law, it is the obligation of the

husband to maintain his wife. He cannot be permitted to

plead that he is unable to maintain the wife due to financial

constraints as long as he is capable of earning.

17.In this context, we may profitably quote a passage

from the judgment rendered by the High Court of Delhi in

Chander Prakash Bodhraj v. Shila Rani Chander

Prakash

17

wherein it has been opined thus:-

“An able-bodied young man has to be presumed

to be capable of earning sufficient money so as to

be able reasonably to maintain his wife and child

and he cannot be heard to say that he is not in a

position to earn enough to be able to maintain

them according to the family standard. It is for

such able-bodies person to show to the Court

cogent grounds for holding that he is unable to

15

(1978) 4 SCC 70

16

(2005) 3 SCC 636

17

AIR 1968 Delhi 174

Page 17 17

reasons beyond his control, to earn enough to

discharge his legal obligation of maintaining his

wife and child. When the husband does not

disclose to the Court the exact amount of his

income, the presumption will be easily permissible

against him.”

18.From the aforesaid enunciation of law it is limpid that

the obligation of the husband is on a higher pedestal when

the question of maintenance of wife and children arises.

When the woman leaves the matrimonial home, the

situation is quite different. She is deprived of many a

comfort. Sometimes the faith in life reduces. Sometimes,

she feels she has lost the tenderest friend. There may be a

feeling that her fearless courage has brought her the

misfortune. At this stage, the only comfort that the law can

impose is that the husband is bound to give monetary

comfort. That is the only soothing legal balm, for she

cannot be allowed to resign to destiny. Therefore, the lawful

imposition for grant of maintenance allowance.

19.In the instant case, as is seen, the High Court has

reduced the amount of maintenance from Rs.4,000/- to

Rs.2,000/-. As is manifest, the High Court has become

oblivious of the fact that she has to stay on her own.

Needless to say, the order of the learned Family Judge is not

Page 18 18

manifestly perverse. There is nothing perceptible which

would show that order is a sanctuary of errors. In fact, when

the order is based on proper appreciation of evidence on

record, no revisional court should have interfered with the

reason on the base that it would have arrived at a different

or another conclusion. When substantial justice has been

done, there was no reason to interfere. There may be a

shelter over her head in the parental house, but other real

expenses cannot be ignored. Solely because the husband

had retired, there was no justification to reduce the

maintenance by 50%. It is not a huge fortune that was

showered on the wife that it deserved reduction. It only

reflects the non-application of mind and, therefore, we are

unable to sustain the said order.

20.Having stated the principle, we would have proceeded

to record our consequential conclusion. But, a significant

one, we cannot be oblivious of the asseverations made by

the appellant. It has been asserted that the respondent had

taken voluntary retirement after the judgment dated

17.2.2012 with the purpose of escaping the liability to pay

the maintenance amount as directed to the petitioner; that

Page 19 19

the last drawn salary of respondent taken into account by

the learned Family Judge was Rs.17,564/- as per salary slip

of May, 2009 and after deduction of AFPP Fund and AGI, the

salary of the respondent was Rs.12,564/- and hence, even

on the basis of the last basic pay (i.e. Rs.9,830/-) of the

respondent the total pension would come to Rs.14,611/- and

if 40% of commutation is taken into account then the

pension of the respondent amounts to Rs.11,535/-; and that

the respondent, in addition to his pension, hand received

encashment of commutation to the extent of 40% i.e.

Rs.3,84,500/- and other retiral dues i.e. AFPP, AFGI, Gratuity

and leave encashment to the tune of Rs.16,01,455/-.

21.The aforesaid aspects have gone uncontroverted as

the respondent-husband has not appeared and contested

the matter. Therefore, we are disposed to accept the

assertions. This exposition of facts further impels us to set

aside the order of the High Court.

22.Consequently, the appeals are allowed, the orders

passed by the High Court are set aside and that of the

Family Court is restored. There shall be no order as to

costs.

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........................................J.

[DIPAK MISRA]

........................................J.

[PRAFULLA C. PANT]

NEW DELHI

APRIL 06, 2015.