Holding

A void marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act precludes maintenance for the wife under Section 125 CrPC, but the child is deemed legitimate and entitled to maintenance, and the second revision petition concerning the quantum of maintenance is maintainable.

Summary

Bakulabai filed a Section 125 CrPC application for maintenance for herself and her son, claiming a lawful marriage with Ganga Ram, who denied the marriage and alleged prior existing marriages. The Judicial Magistrate granted maintenance, but the Sessions Judge reversed the decision; the High Court dismissed Bakulabai's second revision as barred by Section 397(3). The Supreme Court held that a Hindu marriage entered into while the husband had a living spouse is void under the Hindu Marriage Act, so the wife is not entitled to maintenance under Section 125, but the child is deemed legitimate under Section 16(1) and is entitled to maintenance, which should be increased due to inflation. The Court also clarified that the second revision petition was maintainable because it dealt with a different issue (quantum of maintenance) and not a fresh application of the same kind. Consequently, the appeal was allowed, the wife's claim dismissed, and the child’s maintenance fixed at Rs.150 per month with arrears.

Issues considered

Whether a marriage entered into by a Hindu woman with a Hindu man who already has a living spouse is void under the Hindu Marriage Act, thereby disqualifying her from maintenance under Section 125 CrPC.
Whether a child born of such a void marriage is considered legitimate under Section 16(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act and thus eligible for maintenance under Section 125 CrPC.
Whether the second revision application filed before the High Court is barred by Section 397(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Whether the amount of maintenance for the child can be enhanced on account of inflation and the child’s growth.

Legislation cited

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973s. 125, s. 397(3)
Hindu Marriage Act, 1955s. 11, s. 16

Subjects

maintenanceSection 125 CrPCHindu Marriage Actvoid marriagelegitimacy of childrevision jurisdictionSection 397(3)inflationspecial leave

Judgment

BAKULBHAI AND ANR.
A
v.
GANGARAM & ANR.

JANUARY 27, 1988

[RANGANATH MISRA AND L.M. SHARMA, JJ.] B

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973: Sections 125 & 397(3)-
Maintenance for wife and child-Entitlement-Maintainability of
Revision application-Enhancement of maintenance• allowance to
child-Due to inflation and growing age-Permissibility of.

Hindu Marriage Act, 1955: Sections 11 and 16-Hindu woman
c
marrying a Hindu male already married and his wife living-Validity
of-Legitimacy of the child born out of such wedlock-Entitlement of
maintenance for such woman and child.

The appellant filed an application under Section 125 Cr.P.C. D
before the Judicial Magistrate, claiming maintenance for herself and
her son, alleging lawful marriage with the respondent, and that the son
was born out of the wedlock. Respondent, however, denied the
marriage and paternity of her son. He claimed that he was already
married twice and both his wives were alive.
E
-t The Judicial Magistrate accepted the appellant's case and granted
maintenance at the rate of Rs. tOO per month in her favour and Rs.50
T per month for her minor son. The Judicial Magistrate held that appel-
lant No. 1 and respondent lived together in the same house as husband
- •,
and wife for a considerable period, and appellant No. 2 was born out of
this union. He did not record a categorical finding as to whether the F
·-r· respondent was already married and his wife or wives were alive on the
f.
I
date of his marriage with appellant No. t.

A revision application was filed by the appellant for enhancement
of the rate of maintenance. The respondent also moved the Sessions
Judge in revision. The Sessions judge reversed the findings of the Judi- G
cial Magistrate. The appellant challenged the order by way of a revision
application before the Bombay High Court which rejected the same
holding that since it was the second revision application, it was not
maintainable, being barred by the provisions of S. 397(3) Cr. P.C. The
High Court also examined the merits of the case and concurred with the
view of the Sessions Judge. This appeal is by Special Leave. H
787
788 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988) 2 S.C.R.

A Allowing the appeal, this Court,

HELD: l. The plea that respondent could not have lawfully
married a third time in view of the provisions of the Hindu Marriage
Act, 1955 was rejected by the Judicial Magistrate by saying that even
according to the respondent, his second marriage was null and void as
B his first wife was then alive. As regards the first marriage he held that it
was not as a fact proved. He got rid of the effect of both the marriages
by adopting a queer logic. If the story of the first marriage was to be
rejected, the second marriage could not have been held to be void on that
ground. It appears that the respondent has satisfactorily prowd his .....
case about his earlier marriage by production of good evidence. Either
the respondent's first marriage was subsisting so as to nullify his second
c marriage, in which case the appellant's marriage also was rendered null
and void on that ground; or if the respondent's case of his first marriage
is disbelieved the second marriage will have to be held to be legal and
effective so as to lead to the same conclusion of the appellant's marriage
being void. On either hypothesis the appellant's claim is not covered by
D Section 125 Cr.P.C. The appellant cannot, therefore, be granted any
relief in the present proceedings. [7910-H; 792A-B)

Smt. Yamunabhai v Anantrao Shivram Adhav and another,
[1988) 2 S.C.R. 809 followed.

E 2. Besides holding that the respondent had married the appel- ~1
lant, the Magistrate categorically said that the appellant and the re-
spondent lived together as husband and wife for a number of years and
L
that appellant No. 2 was their child. If, as a matter of fact, a marriage,
although ineffective in the eye of law, took place between the appellant
and the respondent, the status of the boy must be held to be that of a ..- .
F legitimate son on account of Section 16(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act, ' 1
1955. Even if the factum of marriage of his mother is ignored, he must -1,
1
be treated as an illegitimate child of the respondent on the basis of the
findings of the Judicial Magistrate and is entitled to relief by reason of
clauses (b) and (c) of Section 125(1) Cr. P.C. specifically referring to an
illegitimate child. The order of the Judicial Magistrate allowing the
G maintenance to appellant No. 2 was correctly passed. But the amount of
Rs.50 per month was allowed as the maintenance of the child four years
back. In view of the fact that money value has gone down due to infla-
tion and the child has grown in age, the rate of maintenance is increased
to Rs.150. [791B-C; 793B)

H 3. Since the claim for maintenance was granted in favour of the
BAKULBHAI v. GANGARAM [SHARMA, J.] 789

-t appellant, by the Judicial l\lagistrate, there was no question of her A
challenging the same. Her challenge before the Sessions Judge was
~ confined to that part of the order assessing the amount of maintenance.
and this issue could not have been raised again by her. Subject to this
limitation, she was certainly entitled to invoke the revisional jurisdic·
tion of the High Court. The decision on the merits of her claim went
against her for the first time before the Sessions Judge, and this was the B
·-}- subject matter of her revision before the High Court. She could not,
therefore, be said to be making a second attempt when she challenged
~ the order before the High Court. The fact that she had moved the
Sessions Court against the quantum of maintenance could not be used
->I'. against her in. respect o. f her right of revision against the Sessions
\Judge's order. (790F-H;791A) · · . · C

--f 4. No error of law appears to have been discovered in the judg·
men! of the l\lagistrate and so the revisional courts were not justified in
making a reassessment of the evidence and substitute their own views
for those of the l\fagistrate. (792C) ·
D
Pathumma v. Mohammad, (1986) 2 sec 585, followed.
'
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Criminal Appeal
No. 579 of 1986.
. .
. From the Judgment and Order dated 15.4.1986 of the Bombay E
High Court in Crl. R. Appln. No. 160 of 1985.

Rakesh Upadhyay, M.M. Kashyap and N.A. Siddiqui for the
-. Appellants.
T""7'- V.N. Ganpule, S.K. Agnihotri and A.S. Bhasme for the· F
f Respondents. ·· · · · . ·

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

SHARl\IA, J. The appellant No. 1 Bakulabai filed an application
under s. 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter G
referred to as the Code) before the Judicial Magistrate; Degloor,
alleging that she was lawfully married to the respondent No. I Ganga
Ram and that the appellant No. 2 Maroti was born out of this wedlock.
She claimed maintenance both for herself and for her son. Ganga Ram
denied the marriage as well as the paternity of the appellant No. 2. He
also averred that he was already married twice before the wedding H
790 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] 2 S.C.&.

A pleaded by Bakulabai and that both his wives were living.

2. The Judicial Magistrate accepted Bakulabai's case and
granted maintenance at the rate of Rs.100 per month. in her favour and
additional Rs.50 per month for the minor boy.

B 3. Ganga Ram moved the Sessions Judge in revision. Bakulabai
also filed a revision application for enhancement of the rate of mainte-
nance. The two applications were registered respectively as Criminal
+
Revision No. 83 of 1984 and Criminal Revision No. 110 of 1984, and .!
were heard together. The Sessions Judge accepted the defence case,
reversed the findings of the Judicial Magistrate and dismissed the ·~·
application for maintenance. Revision case No. 83 of 1984 was thus (
c allowed and the wife's application was dismissed. Bakulabai challen- \ _
ged the order before the Bombay High Court by a revision application. r
By the impugned Judgment the High Court rejected the same holding
that since it was the second revision application by the wife it was not
maintainable, being barred by the provisions of s. 397(3) of the Code.
D The Court further proceeded to examine the merits of the case and
concurred with the view of the Sessions Judge. The appellants have
now come to this Court by special leave.

4. On the maintainability of the revision application before it,
the High Court took an erroneous view. The provisions of sub-section -,(.
E (3) of s. 397 relied upon, are in the following terms:

"(3) If an application under this section has been made by
any person either to the High Court or to the Sessions
Judge, no further application by the same person shall be ,
entertained by the other of them." ~ -.

F The main judgment of the Judicial Magistrate upholding the appel-
!ants' claim for maintenance was in,her favour and there was no ques-
4
tion of her challenging the same. Her challenge before the Sessions
Judge was confined to the part of tl\e order assessing the amount of
maintenance, and this issue could not have been raised again by her.
G Subject to this limitation she was, certainly entitled to invoke the ~
revisional jurisdiction of the High Court. The decision on the merits of
her claim went against her for the first time before the Sessions Judge,
and this was the subject matter of her revision before the High Court.
She could not, therefore, be said to be making a second attempt when
she challenged this order before the High Court. The fact that she had
H moved before the Sessions Judge against the quantum of maintenance
BAKULBHAI v. GANGARAM {SHARMA, J.] 791

could not be used against her in respect of her right of revision against A
the Sessions Judge's order. Accordingly, the decision of the High
Court on this question is set aside and it is held that the revision
petition of the appellant before the High Court, except the prayer for
enhancing the amount was maintainable.

5. Now, coming to the other ~pect, the Judicial Magistrate on a B
f consideration of the evidence led on behalf of the parties accepted the
appellants' case. He held that Bakulabai and Ganga Ram had lived

- together in the same house as husband and wife for a considerable
period, and the boy Maroti was born of this union. On the question as
~ to whether Ganga Ram was already married and his wife or wives were
'I living on the date the marriage with the appellant Bakulabai is alleged,
-./ the Magistrate did not record a categorical finding. According to the C
case of Ganga Ram, he was first married witn.Ralabai, and again with
Kusumbai in 1969. It was, therefore, argued on his behalfJbat as he
had two living spouses in 1972, he could not have lawfull{m.arried a
third time in view of the provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
The Judicial Magistrate rejected the plea by saying that the second D
marriage of the respondent with Kusumbai was on his own showing
null and void as his first wife was then alive. Dealing with the effect of
the first marriage he held that it was not as fact proved. Thus he got rid
of the effect of both the marriages by adopting a queer logic. If the
-t- story of the first marriage was to be rejected, the second marriage
could not have been held to be void on that ground. The finding of the E

- Judicial Magistrate on the validity of the marriage of the appellant
was, therefore, illegal.

6. We have by our judgment in Criminal Appeal No. 475 of 1983
Y":(Smt. Yamunabai v. Anantrao Shivram Adhav and another) delivered
today held that the marriage of a Hindu woman with a Hindu male F
with a living spouse performed after the coming in force of the Hindu
Marriage Act, 1955, is null and void and the woman is not entitled to
maintenance under s. 125 of the Code. Coming to the facts of the
present case, it appears that the respondent has satisfactorily proved
his case about his earlier marriage with Kusumbai by production of
good evidence including a certificate issued by the Arya Samaj in this G
regard. It is not suggested that Rajabai was living when Kusumbai was
married and was dead by the time the appellant's marriage took place.
The position which emerges, therefore, is that either the respondent's
first marriage with Rajabai was subsisting so as to nullify his second
marriage with Kusumbai, in which case the appellant's marriage also
was rendered null and void on that very ground; or if, on the other H
792 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] 2 S.C.R.

hand, the respondent's case of his marriage with Rajabai is disbelieved
A
the marriage of Kusumbai will have to be held to be legal and effective
so as to lead to the same conclusion of the appellant's marriage being i
void. On either hypothesis the appellant's claim is not covered by
s. 125 of the Code. She cannot, therefore, be granted any relief in the
present preceedings. The decision to that effect of the High Court is,
B therefore, confirmed.

7. The other findings of the Magistrate on the disputed question
t
of fact were recorded after a full consideration of the evidence and -1
should have been left undisturbed in revision. No error of law appears
to have been discovered in his judgrnent and so the revisional courts
were not justified in making a reassessment of the evidence and substi-
C tute their own views for those of the Magistrate. (See Pathumma and
another v. Mohammad, [1986) 2 SCC 585). Besides holding that the
respondent had married the appellant, the Magistrate categorically
said that the appellant and the respondent lived together as husband
and wife for a number of years and the appellant No. 2 Maroti was
D their child. If, as a matter of fact, a marriage although ineffective in
the eye of law, took place between the appellant No. 1 and the respon-
dent No. 1, the status of the boy must be held to be of a legitimate son
on account of s. 16(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, which reads as
follows:

-
E "16(1). Notwithstanding that a marriage is null and void
under Section 11, any child of such marriage who would
have been legitimate if the marriage had been valid. shall
be legitimate, whether such child is born before or after the
commencement of the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Act,
1976 (68 of 1976), and whether or not a decree of nullity is~
F granted in respect of that marriage under this Act and I
whether or not the marriage is held to be void otherwise --<
than on a petition under this Act."

Even if the factum of marriage of his mother is ignored he must be
treated as an illegitimate child of the respondent on the basis of the
G findings of the Judicial Magistrate and is entitled to relief by reason of
)'- .
Clauses (b) and (c) of s. 125(1) of the Code specifically referring to an
illegitimate child. We, therefore, hold that the order of the Judicial
Magistrate allowing the maintenance to the appellant No. 2 was cor-
rectly passed.

H 8. The amount of Rs.50 per month was allowed as the mainte-
BAKULBHAI v. GANGARAM [SHARMA, J.] 793

nance of the child in 1984. The revision application filed before the A
Sessions Judge was rejected. A second application before the High
Court was, therefore, not maintainable. We will, therefore, assume
that the decision assessing the amount of maintenance as Rs.50 per
month in 1984 became final. However, on account of change of
circumstances, this amount can be revised after efflux of time. During
B
the last four years the value of money has gone down due to inflation.
The child has also grown in age. In the circumstances, we direct the
respondent Ganga Ram to pay the appellant No. 1 the maintenance
amount for appellant No. 2 at the rate of Rs.150 per month with effect
from February, 1988. The arrears up to January, 1988, if not paid,
y' should also be paid promptly. The appeal is allowed in the terms
\ mentioned above. C

G.N. Appeal allowed.

-