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citation codes
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  • provision of Sections 397 and 399, Cr. P. C.
  • Section 227 of the Constitution
  • Section 397(2) or Sub-section (3).
  • provisions of Section 397(3),
  • Section 482, Cr. P. C.
  • Section 127, Cr. P. C.
  • Section 125, Cr. P. C.
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Citation Codes
Equivalent Citations
citation codes
Case Number
Judges
Acts
  • provision of Sections 397 and 399, Cr. P. C.
  • Section 227 of the Constitution
  • Section 397(2) or Sub-section (3).
  • provisions of Section 397(3),
  • Section 482, Cr. P. C.
  • Section 127, Cr. P. C.
  • Section 125, Cr. P. C.
Smart Summary

Structured Summary of the Opinion

Factual and Procedural Background

The petition under Section 482, Cr. P. C. was filed by the husband (petitioner) seeking quashment of the entire proceedings under Section 125, Cr. P. C. and discharge from payment of maintenance to opposite party No.1, Smt. Najima Begum. On 8-6-1976 Smt. Najima Begum filed an application under Section 125 claiming Rs. 200/- as maintenance alleging neglect by her husband and that he had married again. The learned Magistrate, after recording evidence of both parties, passed an order dated 18-7-1978 awarding maintenance of Rs. 150/- (recorded as Rs. ISO in the text). The Magistrate found that Najima Begum wanted to study, her father was not alive, she could not maintain herself and observed Parda according to Muslim custom. The husband (Abdul Salim) took revision (Cr. Revision No. 77 of 1978) to the 1st Additional Sessions Judge, which on 29-9-1978 reduced the maintenance to Rs.100/- per month after reproducing the Magistrate's finding that she was unable to maintain herself and noting she could not be forced to live with her husband.

The present Section 482 petition alleges primarily that the original Section 125 application lacked the averment that the wife was unable to maintain herself, that she did not take such a plea in her statement, and that she has since obtained income from tuition and therefore can maintain herself; accordingly, the petitioner contends the orders of the lower courts are liable to be quashed.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether a petition under Section 482, Cr. P. C. is maintainable to quash proceedings under Section 125, Cr. P. C. where the petitioner had a specific remedy by way of revision and did not raise the present challenge in the revision grounds.
  2. Whether the absence of an explicit averment in the Section 125 application or oral statement that the wife was unable to maintain herself defeats her claim for maintenance when the Magistrate and revisional court recorded findings of her inability based on the evidence.
  3. Whether a belated factual plea (that the wife now earns from tuition) introduced in a Section 482 petition can be entertained, or whether the proper remedy for a change in circumstances is under Section 127, Cr. P. C.
  4. Whether the High Court should reduce the maintenance amount awarded by the courts below by exercising its extraordinary jurisdiction under Section 482.

Arguments of the Parties

Petitioner's (Husband's) Arguments

  • The Section 125 application did not aver that Smt. Najima Begum was unable to maintain herself; she did not take such a plea in her statement.
  • Najima Begum has since obtained income from tuition and is therefore able to maintain herself.
  • In the absence of the essential ingredient under Section 125 (inability to maintain), the orders of the Magistrate and the revisional court are liable to be quashed.
  • The amount of maintenance awarded is excessive and should be reduced (argument raised but not upheld by the Court).

Respondent's (Wife's) Arguments / Counter-Affidavit Contentions

  • No such ground (that the wife had income) was taken in the memo of revision; certified copy of grounds of revision is Annexure-3 of the counter-affidavit.
  • The finding by the lower courts that she was unable to maintain herself was based on the evidence on record.
  • It was not alleged in the written statement or in the husband's statement that the wife had income of her own; the plea about income was a new allegation raised for the first time in the Section 482 petition.
  • The original notice (sent by the petitioner) stated that Smt. Sultani (mother) was left with no means of livelihood after her husband's death; the notice also alleged that Najima Begum had taken ornaments worth Rs. 2,000/- which they intended to misappropriate.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
Amar Nath (Supreme Court decision, referred) Guidance on exercise of inherent power under Section 482 — set of principles governing when inherent power should be exercised. The Court relied on Amar Nath (as modified later) to emphasise that Section 482 power is not to be used where specific Code provisions apply, should be exercised sparingly, and not against express statutory bars; later nuances permit intervention where abuse of process or ends of justice require it.
Madhu Limaye v. State of Maharashtra (Supreme Court) Restatement of principles governing Section 482: (1) do not resort to inherent power if specific provision exists; (2) exercise sparingly to prevent abuse; (3) not against express bar in Code. The Court reproduced these principles and used them to explain the limited circumstances in which it may exercise Section 482; concluded this case did not meet those exceptional standards.
Mangal Singh v. Smt. Dalvindra (1975 All WC 496) Authority (by the same Court) that Section 482 may be exercised even if it amounts to a second revision where the order is "shocking to judicial conscience" or in similar circumstances. The Court cited this earlier view but held that the present case did not present circumstances (such as shocking injustice) to justify overriding the normal revisional route.
Ghurpatari v. Smt. Sampati (Full Bench) Precedent relied on by petitioner (distinguishable). The Court considered it distinguishable because there was nothing to show that a clear finding had been recorded by the lower courts in that case; also it pre-dated the Supreme Court guidelines in Amar Nath/Madhu Limaye.
Bishambhar Dass v. Smt. Angini (1978 All Cr C. 73) and J. M. Dutta v. State of U.P. (1977 All Cr C 258) Instances where this Court interfered in revisional jurisdiction (relied upon by petitioner). The Court acknowledged these authorities were cited by petitioner but treated them as cases where revisional interference was permitted; it did not find the present case analogous or sufficient to exercise Section 482.
Smt. Zubedabi v. Abdul Khader (Karnataka High Court, 1978 Cri LJ 1555) Case cited by petitioner where High Court interfered; relevance questioned. The Court observed that Madhu Limaye/Amar Nath principles did not appear to have been considered in that decision and that it did not appear that any definite finding of inability to maintain had been recorded by the lower court in that case.
Bai Tahira v. Ali Hussain Fissalli Chothia (Supreme Court) Observation that a too-technical approach is inappropriate in Section 125 matters; requirement of neglect/neglect to maintain is the sine qua non but broad perception should govern. The Court quoted the decision to support the proposition that neglect to maintain must be broadly appreciated and that the basic condition of neglect to maintain was satisfied on the facts here; used to reinforce that a technical absence of a pleading should not defeat a rightful maintenance claim supported by evidence.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The Court's reasoning proceeds in multiple, linked steps grounded in statutory interpretation, evidentiary record and the limits on the High Court's inherent jurisdiction:

  1. Requirement under Section 125: The Court acknowledged that inability to maintain is an important ingredient of Section 125 but emphasised that "unable to maintain" does not mean absolute destitution; it need not be shown that the woman is reduced to begging or street destitution before she can claim maintenance. A relevant comparative standard is whether she can maintain herself at or near the status she had while living with her husband.
  2. Findings of lower courts: The Magistrate recorded a clear finding that Najima Begum was unable to maintain herself (based on evidence, including her desire to study, death of her father, observance of Parda, and dependence on widowed mother). The revisional Court reproduced that finding. The Court treated these findings as questions of fact founded on the record.
  3. Procedural remedy and bar to successive revision: The Court held that the petitioner had a clear remedy by revision and availed it (to the Sessions Judge). The Court noted there is no provision for a second revision to the High Court (referring to Sections 397(3) and 399(3)) and that using Section 482 to achieve what is effectively a second revision would circumvent these statutory bars.
  4. Limits on Section 482: Relying on Amar Nath and Madhu Limaye, the Court reiterated the three guiding principles for exercising inherent jurisdiction under Section 482: (1) not to be used when specific Code remedies exist; (2) to be exercised sparingly; (3) not to override an express statutory bar. The Court further noted the Supreme Court's clarification permitting inherent power where necessary to prevent abuse of process or to secure ends of justice, but observed such instances are rare.
  5. Application of principles to facts: Applying these principles, the Court found this was not the rare case warranting Section 482 relief. The petitioner had already sought revision and had not taken the present ground (that the wife is self-sufficient) in the grounds of revision. The belated plea that Najima Begum now earns by tuition was a new plea raised for the first time in the High Court petition and could not be examined in this exercise; the proper remedy for a change in circumstances was Section 127 (for variation of maintenance).
  6. Precedent comparison: The Court considered the authorities cited by the petitioner (including cases where this Court interfered in revisional jurisdiction) but distinguished them on their facts or relevance, and found those decisions inapplicable to the present factual matrix—particularly because the lower courts here had recorded definite findings of inability to maintain.
  7. On quantum of maintenance: The petitioner’s argument that the maintenance amount is excessive was considered unnecessary to decide because the Court concluded it should not exercise its extraordinary power under Section 482 in the circumstances; therefore no interference with amount was warranted.

Holding and Implications

Holding: The petition under Section 482, Cr. P. C. is dismissed and the interim stay order dated 7-11-1978 is vacated.

Implications:

  • The maintenance order of the lower courts remains in force (the Sessions Judge had reduced maintenance to Rs.100 per month).
  • The High Court declined to use its inherent power under Section 482 to re-open or quash the Section 125 proceedings where (a) a specific remedy by revision existed and was availed, (b) the lower courts had recorded findings of inability to maintain based on evidence, and (c) the petitioner sought to introduce a new factual plea (that the wife now earns) for the first time in the High Court instead of under the appropriate statutory route.
  • The Court indicated that where a change in circumstances occurs after a maintenance order, the proper statutory remedy is Section 127, Cr. P. C., rather than a Section 482 petition.
  • No broader precedent was announced beyond the application of established principles limiting the High Court's exercise of inherent jurisdiction; the Court emphasised that interference under Section 482 is exceptional and should be sparingly exercised in accordance with the Supreme Court guidance cited in the opinion.

Result recorded in the opinion: Petition dismissed; stay vacated.

    Abdul Salim v. Najima Begum

    1. This petition is under Section 482, Cr. P. C. filed by the husband praying that the entire proceedings under Section 125, Cr. P. C. be quashed and the petitioner may be discharged from paying the maintenance allowance to opposite party No. 1, i. e. Smt. Najima Begum. The application under Section 125, Cr. P. C. was filed by Smt. Najima fiegum on 8-6-76 praying that Rs. 200/- be allowed to her as maintenance as her husband had neglected to maintain her and had married again. The learned Magistrate after recording the evidence of both the parties passed an order dated 18-7-78 awarding Rs. ISO/- as maintenance to the wife. He recorded a finding that the applicant Smt. Najima Begum wanted to study. Her father too was hot alive. She herself was not in a position to maintain herself and that she observes Parda according to Muslim custom. Abdul Salim went up in revision (Cr. Revision No. 77 of 1978)' which was decided by 1st Addl. Sessions Judge on 29-9-1978. The learned Sessions Judge reproduced the finding of the learned Magistrate that she was unable to maintain herself and that she could not be forced to live with her husband -as her husband lives with Smt. Akleela. It further observed that Smt, Najima Begum has now become dependent on her widowed mother. She wants to study and maintain herself, Her widowed mother is doing tution and tailoring to support her family. After considering the status of the parties and the circumstances of the case the learned Sessions Judge reduced the amount of maintenance from Rs, 150/- per month to Rs. 100/- per month.

    2. This petition has been filed mainly on the ground that there was no averment in the application under Section 125, Cr. P. C. that Smt. Najima Begum was unable to maintain herself. It is also stated that even in her statement she did not take any such plea. It was then alleged that now she has got her own income from tution and, as such, she is able to maintain herself. It was stated that in the absence of essential ingredients under Section 125, Cr. P. C. the orders of both the Courts below are liable to be quashed.

    3. This petition was contested on the ground that no such ground was taken in the memo of revision. Certified copy of the grounds of revision is Annexure-3 of the counter-affidavit. It was also stated in the counter-affidavit that the findings recorded by the lower Court that she was unable to maintain herself was based upon the evidence on record. It was also stated that it was not alleged either in the written statement or even in the statement of Salim that the petitioner had income of her own. It was thus entirely a new plea which was taken in the petition for the first time. The learned Counsel for the respondent has also drawn my attention to the original notice which was sent to Smt. Sultani, mother of Smt. Najima Begum and Smt, Najima Begum as well. In this notice it was stated on behalf of Abdul Salim himself that after the death of Chand Khan, husband of Smt. Sultani, Smt. Sultani was left with no means of livelihood. No doubt, it was alleged in that notice that Smt. Najima Begum had taken ornaments etc. worth Rs. 2,000/- which both of them wanted to misappropriate.

    4. It is true that under Section 125, Cr. P. C. an important ingredient is that the wife if found unable to maintain herself will be entitled to claim maintenance. I, however, do not think that by this phrase it is meant that she should be absolute destitute and should first be on the street, should beg and be in tattered clothes and then only she will be entitled to move an application under Section 125, Cr. P. C. which too may take sometime and that time may be enough for her death. A woman, no doubt, has to depend on some of her maternal relations for her maintenance when she leaves her husband's house. She can be maintained for some time by her relations. But that alone will not be sufficient. What is necessary is that she herself should be in a position to maintain herself and that it should not be much below the status which she was used to at the place of her husband.

    5. Apart from these considerations the learned Magistrate recorded a clear finding that she was unable to maintain herself. This finding could have been assailed in revision but no ground was taken to that effect. The revisional Court too has reproduced that finding. In my opinion the revisional Court was the proper Court where such a finding should have been assailed on the ground that it was without any evidence. There is no provision for a second revision in the High Court. The second revision is clearly barred under Sections 397(3) and 399(3). By taking recourse to Section 482, Cr. P. C. in such case it amounts to circumventing the provision of Sections 397 and 399, Cr. P. C. In a similar case when an attempt was made to circumvent the provisions of Section 397(3), Hon'ble Supreme Court held that such an application in the High Court should not be treated even one under Section 227 of the Constitution and it rejected that application. Now the Hon'ble Supreme Court has clearly laid down certain principles with regard to an application under Section 482, Cr. P. C. in the case of Amar Nath and the same have been reiterated in the case of Madhu Limaye v. State Of Maharashtra. . The principles laid down are as follows:

    (1) That the power is not to be resorted to if there is a specific provision in the Code for the redress of the grievance of the aggrieved party, (2) That it should be exercised very sparingly to prevent abuse of process of any Court or otherwise to secure the ends of justice;

    (3) That it should not be exercised as against the express bar of law engrafted in any other provision of the Code.

    6. No doubt in the later decision the Hon'ble Supreme Court modified its earlier view in Amar Nath's case to some extent by holding that the bar under Section 397(2) will not operate to prevent the abuse of the process of the Court and/or to secure the ends of justice. Hon'ble the Supreme Court has, however, made the following observation in this connection:

    But then if the order assailed is purely of an interlocutory character which could be corrected in exercise of the revisional power of the High Court under the 1898 Code, the High Court will refuse to exercise its inherent power. But in case the impugned order clearly brings about a situation which is an abuse of the process of the Court or for the purpose of securing the ends of justice interference by the High Court is absolutely necessary, then nothing contained in Section 397(2) can limit or effect the exercise of the inherent power by the High Court. But such cases would be few and far between. The High Court must exercise the inherent power very sparingly. One such case would be the desirability of the quashing of a criminal proceeding initiated illegally, vexatiously or as being without jurisdiction.

    7. This does not mean that it is now open to the High Court to interfere in any case ignoring the power under Section 397(2) or Sub-section (3). As held by Hon'ble the Supreme Court such cases would be few and far between when this Court would be required to interfere under Section 482, Cr. P. C. I had taken almost similar view much earlier in the case of Mangal Singh v. Snit. Dalvindra 1975 All WC 496 in which I had held that the High Court may exercise its power - under Section 482, Cr. P. C. even though it amounts to second revision when the order passed by the lower Court is shocking to judicial conscience or in such similar circumstance. In the present case there is no doubt that there was a clear remedy open to the petitioner by filing the revision and he did avail that remedy. The petitioner could have sought such error correct in revision. The petition under Section 482, Cr, P. C. could not have been filed by way of a second revision for correcting such error when even such ground was not taken in the grounds of revision filed before the learned Sessions Judge. The new plea taken in the petition that the respondent is now earning by way of tution cannot be looked into at all. In case any chance has occurred in the circumstances of the parties the proper remedy is under Section 127, Cr. P. C. The learned Counsel for the petitioner has placed reliance on the case of Ghurpatari v. Smt. Sampati (FB). In my opinion that case is /distinguishable as there is nothing to show that any such clear finding had been recorded by the lower Courts in that case. Moreover that case was decided before the guidelines had been laid down by Hon'ble the Supreme Court on the case of Amarnath and Madhu Limaye. Learned Counsel for the petitioner has placed reliance on the case of Bishambhar Dass v. Smt. Angini 1978 All Cr C. 73 and J. M. Dutta v. State of U.P. 1977 All Cr C 258 decided by Hon'ble Chaturvedi, J. They are the cases where this Court interfered in its revisional jurisdiction. He has also referred to the decision of Karnataka High Court in the case of Smt. Zubedabi v. Abdul Khader 1978 Cri LJ 1555. It does not appear that the decisions of Supreme Court in Amarnath and Madhu Limaye (supra) were considered in that case. It also does not appear that any definite finding had been recorded by the lower Court in that case that the wife was unable to maintain herself. The learned Counsel for the petitioner has also argued that the amount of maintenance is excessive which should be reduced. In view of my finding that it is not at all a fit case which would justify interference by this Court by exercising its extraordinary power under Section 482, no question arise of reducing the allowance of maintenance. Before closing my judgment I shall also like to refer to the case of Bai Tahira v. Ali Hussain Fissalli Chothia in which Hon'ble Supreme Court made the following observations to the effect that too technical view is not to be taken in such case though these observations were made in reference to another ingredient of Section 125:

    Section 125 requires, as a sine qua non for its application, neglect by husband or father. The Magistrate's order proceeds on neglect to maintain; the Sessions Judge has spoken nothing to the contrary and the High Court has not spoken at all. Moreover, the husband has not examined himself to prove that he has been giving allowances to the divorced wife. His case, on the contrary, is that she has forfeited her claim because of divorce and the consent decree. Obviously, he has no case of non-neglect. His plea is his right to ignore. So the basic condition of neglect to maintain is satisfied. In this generous jurisdiction, a broader perception and appreciation of the facts and their bearing must govern the verdict and chopping little logic or tinkering with burden of proof.

    8. In the result the petition is dismissed. Stay order dated 7-11-1978 is vacated.

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    Comments

    Abdul Salim v. Najima Begum
    (Aug 31, 1979)