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2019 DIGILAW 890 (GAU)

Pradyut Nath v. Jhumki Nath

2019-08-08

A.K.GOSWAMI, MANISH CHOUDHURY

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JUDGMENT : Arup Kumar Goswami, J. 1. Heard Mr. M.U. Mondal, learned counsel for the appellant Also heard Mr. K.P. Pathak, learned counsel, appearing for all the respondents. 2. This appeal is filed under Section 19 of the Family Courts Act, 1984 against the judgment dated 12.04.2018 passed by the learned Principal Judge, Family Court, Barpeta in connection with F.C. (Crl.) No. 89/2019, registered on the basis of an application filed by the respondent No. 1 under Section 125 Cr.PC. 3. By the said judgment, the learned Trial Court granted maintenance @ Rs. 7,000/- per month to the respondent No. 1, who is the wife of the appellant and Rs. 5,000/-, each, to the minor children of the couple, in all totalling Rs. 17,000/- per month. 4. Since the pleadings and evidence tendered in course of the proceedings before the learned Court below are available on record, with the consent of the learned counsel appearing for the parties, we have taken up the appeal for disposal at the admission stage itself. 5. The appellant and the respondent No. 1 were married on 10.12.2001 according to Hindu ritual and rites and a daughter, Anoushka Nath, and a son, Pravanjal Nath, were born out of the wedlock. At the time of filing the application under Section 125 Cr.PC, the daughter was studying in Class-DC and was aged about 13 years and the son was studying in Class-V and he was 10 years old. The respondent No. 1 is working as a temporary Assistant Teacher in Marian School, Barpeta with a monthly salary of Rs. 5,100/- and the children are students of the same school. It is stated that the appellant is a wealthy businessman having two garment shops in the Municipal Market of Barpeta Road, 15 Bighas of cultivable land at Baxirhat, West Bengal and a plot of land measuring 1 Bigha 4 Katha 18½ Lechas, Dag No. 1195 of KP Patta No. 93 situated at Barpeta Road Town and has monthly income of Rs. 1,00,000/-. It is alleged that the appellant, who is a highly temperamental person, had subjected her to physical torture and had demanded huge amount of money from her parents and after the second child was born, she was driven out of her matrimonial house as a result of which she had to live in her parents' house up to May, 2010. It is alleged that the appellant, who is a highly temperamental person, had subjected her to physical torture and had demanded huge amount of money from her parents and after the second child was born, she was driven out of her matrimonial house as a result of which she had to live in her parents' house up to May, 2010. Though she had come back to the matrimonial house, the demand of money continued along with physical and mental torture, which were borne by her for the sake of the children but the last straw came when she was mercilessly beaten up on 30.10.2016 and had to be rescued by her father and since then, she is staying along with her children in the house of her parents. By the said application, the wife prayed for Rs. 10,000/- per month for herself and Rs. 10,000/-, each, for both the minor children, interim maintenance of Rs. 50,000/- and Rs. 10,000/- as litigation expenses. 6. A written statement was filed denying the allegations of torture and demand of money. The statements with regard to he being a wealthy person with two garment shops and having two plots of land, as indicated in the application and that his income is Rs. 1,00,000/-, are denied. He admitted that he has a small garment shop at Barpeta Road but what is his income is not disclosed. He had stated that his father expired after a couple of months of his marriage and that he has to take care of his 90 year old bedridden mother and for her nursing, two paid ladies had been engaged. It is stated that the wife lived a life of her own and had started "disobedience" towards the husband as well as his mother and in doing so, she was instigated by her father, who also sometimes tortured him. With regard to the fateful day, i.e. on 30.10.2016, it is stated that in his absence, his wife called her father and he took his wife and the children with all her belongings, ornaments, etc. 7. During the course of the proceedings, the respondent No. 1 examined herself as PW-1 and had also adduced the evidence of her father as PW-2. The appellant also adduced his evidence as DW-1 and had examined another witness, who is a neighbour, as DW-2. 8. 7. During the course of the proceedings, the respondent No. 1 examined herself as PW-1 and had also adduced the evidence of her father as PW-2. The appellant also adduced his evidence as DW-1 and had examined another witness, who is a neighbour, as DW-2. 8. The learned Court below had formulated 4(four) points for determination and they are as follows:- "(I) Whether the 1st party being legally married wife of the 2nd party had voluntarily left the company of the 2nd party? (II) Whether the 2nd party, in spite of having sufficient means, has neglected/refused to maintain the 1st party and her minor children? (iii) Whether the 1st party is unable to maintain herself and her minor children? (iv) Whether the 1st party and her minor children are entitled to get maintenance allowance from the 2nd party as prayed for?" 9. Point Nos. (i), (ii) & (iii) were decided in favour of the applicant/wife and the point No. (iv) was decided holding that the wife (1st party) and her minor children are entitled to get maintenance, as noted in the earlier part of this judgment. 10. During the course of argument, Mr. Mondal has submitted that though in the grounds of appeal, grant of maintenance @ Rs. 5,000/-, each, to the children was also taken, he submits that he will confine his argument only in respect of grant of maintenance @ Rs. 7,000/- to the respondent No. 1. It is contended by him that the finding recorded by the learned Trial Court that the appellant has two shops and that he has got landed property at Barpeta Road Market as well as Baxirhat are perverse findings and as such, when admittedly the respondent No. 1 is having an income of her own to the extent of Rs. 5,100/- as per the own admission of the respondent No. 1, though according to Mr. Mondal, she has got a much higher salary, the award of maintenance to the tune of Rs. 7,000/- per month to the respondent No. 1 cannot be sustained. He has submitted that in the evidence, DW-1 had stated that he hardly earns about Rs. 8,000/- to Rs. Mondal, she has got a much higher salary, the award of maintenance to the tune of Rs. 7,000/- per month to the respondent No. 1 cannot be sustained. He has submitted that in the evidence, DW-1 had stated that he hardly earns about Rs. 8,000/- to Rs. 10,000/- per month, which too, is not regular and in absence of any other positive evidence from the side of the respondent No. 1, the learned Court below ought to have taken into consideration this aspect of the matter which, however, was glossed over. Accordingly, he submits that this Court may appropriately interfere with the award of maintenance granted to the respondent No. 1. 11. Mr. Pathak submits that on due consideration on the basis of the materials on record, the learned Court below had rightly awarded the maintenance and no interference is called for and the appeal is liable to be dismissed. 12. We have considered the submissions advanced by the learned counsel appearing for the parties and have perused the materials on record. 13. At the very outset, we must indicate that Mr. Mondal may be justified in submitting that the learned Trial Court was not correct in holding that the appellant has landed property at Barpeta Road and Baxirhat. There was oral evidence on the side of the respondents asserting possession of such landed property by the appellant but no documents were exhibited to establish that the appellant has such landed property. The learned Trial Court, it appears, came to such conclusion on the basis of some documents, which, presumably, were placed at the time of argument of the case. As the documents with regard to landed property are not exhibited, on the state of the evidence on record, we are unable to hold with any degree of certainty that the appellant has landed properties as asserted by the respondent No. 1. 14. That the respondent No. 1 earns Rs. 5,100/- as salary is more or less an established fact in absence of any contrary evidence being led by the appellant. 15. Barpeta Road is a thriving business centre and it is an admitted position that the appellant has one garment shop at Barpeta Road. The appellant does not disclose his income in the written statement but professed in his evidence that he earns about Rs. 8,000/- to Rs. 10,000/- in a month, that too, occasionally. 15. Barpeta Road is a thriving business centre and it is an admitted position that the appellant has one garment shop at Barpeta Road. The appellant does not disclose his income in the written statement but professed in his evidence that he earns about Rs. 8,000/- to Rs. 10,000/- in a month, that too, occasionally. DW-2 in his evidence had stated that the appellant has got one garment shop at Municipal Market at Barpeta Road in his own name and another shop standing in the name of his father. The appellant does not indicate that he has got any sibling. His father had died, according to his own admission, a couple of months after he entered into wedlock. Though the second shop is standing in the name of the father, it is as good as his own shop, in absence of any other legal representatives to stake a claim in respect of that shop. In the cross-examination of PW-1, she had stated that 1 (one) month prior to her deposition, the mother of the appellant had expired. There is no rebuttal evidence from the side of the appellant in that regard. The position that emerges is that the appellant has none else to look after other than himself, the wife and the children. That the appellant had engaged the services of two ladies for the welfare and upkeep of his mother is an admitted position. The fact that he could employ two persons at home goes to show that he is possessed of sufficient means to bear such expenses. With the passing away of the mother, surely the services of the two ladies are not required. Evidence on record reveals that the appellant himself had claimed himself to be a rich and reputed businessman of Barpeta Road when he filed a bail application in connection with Barpeta Road P.S. Case No. 465/2016. 16. Situated thus, we are in agreement with the eventual conclusion of the learned Trial Court with regard to the award of maintenance to the respondent No. 1. 17. Consequently, we find no merit in this appeal and accordingly, the same is dismissed.