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Court Name : Bombay High Court

Law Point: Once the Decree of Divorce is granted then the Application u/s 18 of HAMA becomes infructuous.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPLICATION NO. 86 OF 2013
IN
CRIMINAL APPLICATION NO. 608 OF 2012
IN
CRIMINAL WRIT PETITION NO. 1280 OF 2011

Shri. Ganesh Madhukar Mestry ..  ApplicantVs.

Smt. Surekha Ganesh Mestry & Ors. ..  Respondents
Mr. Pramod Pawar for the Applicant.
Mr. P. N. Kulkarni for Respondent No.1.
Mr. A. B. Shinde for Respondent Nos.4, 5 & 6.
Mrs. A. A. Mane, APP for the Respondent­State.
AND
CRIMINAL APPLICATION NO. 608 OF 2012
IN
CRIMINAL WRIT PETITION NO. 1280 OF 2011
AND
CRIMINAL WRIT PETITION NO. 1280 OF 2011
Smt. Surekha Ganesh Mestry & Ors. ..  Applicant
Vs.
The Senior Inspector of Police & Ors. ..  Respondents
Mr. P. N. Kulkarni for the Applicant/Petitioner.
Mr. A. B. Shinde for Respondent Nos.4, 5 & 6.
Mrs. A. A. Mane, APP for the Respondent­State.
CORAM :  MRS. ROSHAN DALVI, J.
DATE :  7
th MARCH, 2013.
P.C.
1. This writ petition is filed by the petitioner­wife for production of
the respondent­husband through the Senior Inspector of Police on the ground
that the order of the Family Court dated 6th December, 2004 directing him to
pay maintenance and which was brought into execution has not been satisfied
or complied and the respondent­husband has not been found.
2. The order of maintenance of the Family Court dated 6th December,
2004 is an ex parte order.   It was passed when the husband and wife both
were absent.  The wife’s Advocate was present.  Upon the averments in the
affidavit of evidence filed by the wife and without any cross­examination the
order of maintenance came to be passed granting her the maintenance prayed
for.  That was sought to be carried in execution.
3. The application of the wife was under Section 18 of the Hindu
Adoption and Maintenance Act (HAMA).  The petitioner­wife was no longer
wife at the time of  the passing of  the order.   She was already divorced on
21.04.2003 by Civil Judge Senior Division, Ratnagiri on the ground of mental
cruelty made out by the husband.  The decree of divorce was not ex parte.  It
was upon contest.  It was contested by the wife and the wife was represented
by her Advocate.  She had cross­examined the husband.  The learned Judge
found from the evidence that there was mental cruelty and granted a decree of
dissolution of marriage on the ground of mental cruelty.  The wife knew about
decree.  Yet the wife did not inform the Family Court about the decree.  It was
for  the wife  to  apply  for  permanent maintenance under  Section  25 of  the
Hindu Marriage Act.  She has not filed a counter claim.  She did not apply for
such maintenance.  She did not lead evidence.  She did not cross­examine the
husband on the ground of alimony and permanent maintenance.  Issue in that
behalf was not raised.  It did not even have to be answered.  The wife did not
contest or apply for that at all.
4. The   wife’s  petition   separately   filed  in   the   Family  Court   under
Section  18  of  the HAMA would  become infructuous when  the marriage is
dissolved  by  a  decree  of divorce  by  the  competent Court.   That decree of
divorce   was   not   challenged.     Hence   the   wife’s   application   becomes
infructuous.     Yet   the   Advocate   on   behalf   of   the   wife   prosecuted   that
application ex parte and the order came to be passed.
5. Thereafter the wife laboured over that order in execution.
6. The husband had remained at large.  He neither appeared before
the Court nor did he inform that the wife’s application had become infructuous
nor complied with the order.   The husband appears  to have challenged the
order belatedly.  He filed his appeal in this Court in 2007 before the Division
Bench. It was delayed.  The delay was not condoned.  Hence the appeal came
to  be  dismissed.    On  that  premise  the  wife  continued  her  application  for
execution of the order of the Family Court obtained ex parte.  That order could
not have been passed in view of her divorce on the ground of her own mental
cruelty held to have been perpetrated upon the husband.  Hence the order is a
nullity.  The entire effort in execution is in vain.
7. It may be mentioned that in view of the merits of the case of the
parties in the divorce petition, the wife would not have been granted alimony.
Hence she did not prosecute any application for alimony in that petition and
chose to maintain a separate application in another Court.
8. Consequently the main prayer in the writ petition itself cannot be
granted.
9. The  husband  has  been  procured  by  the  relevant  police  officer
upon   a  warrant  executed  by   the   Court.    The   warrant is   cancelled.   Writ
petition is dismissed.
10. Criminal Application of the husband is accordingly granted.
11. Criminal Application of the wife is dismissed.
12. Execution Application in the Family Court itself does not survive
and cannot continue.
(ROSHAN DALVI, J.)

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