Supreme Court of India
SMT. CHAND DHAWANversusJAWAHARLAL DHAWAN
- Citation
- 1993 INSC 216
- Decided
- 11 June 1993
- Bench
- M M PUNCHHI
Holding
Permanent alimony under Section 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act is only maintainable when the matrimonial court has passed a decree affecting or disrupting the marital status; absent such a decree, the claim is not maintainable.
Summary
Chand Dhawan (wife) appealed against the Punjab & Haryana High Court’s order dismissing her claim for permanent alimony under Section 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act and also setting aside the maintenance pendente lite granted under Section 24. The wife had filed a petition for permanent alimony and maintenance after a divorce petition filed by the husband was dismissed, and the Additional District Judge, Amritsar, had granted maintenance but refused permanent alimony on the ground that no decree affecting the marital status (restitution of conjugal rights, judicial separation, nullity or divorce) had been passed. The Supreme Court examined whether Section 25 could be invoked when the marriage subsists and no such decree exists. It held that permanent alimony is ancillary to a decree that disrupts or affects the marital status and therefore cannot be granted absent such a decree; consequently, the order under Section 24 was also set aside. The appeal was dismissed, leaving the wife to seek maintenance under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act or other appropriate statutes.
Issues considered
- The applicability of Section 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act for permanent alimony when no decree affecting the marital status has been passed.
- Whether maintenance pendente lite under Section 24 can be granted in the absence of a decree affecting the marriage.
- The jurisdictional distinction between the Hindu Marriage Act and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act for claims of maintenance.
Legislation cited
- Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973s. 125
- Evidence Act, 1862s. 41
- Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956s. 18
- Hindu Marriage Act, 1955s. 10, s. 11, s. 12, s. 13, s. 14, s. 24, s. 25, s. 28, s. 9
Subjects
Hindu Marriage ActSection 25permanent alimonymaintenance pendente litematrimonial jurisdictiondecreeHindu Adoptions and Maintenance ActCode of Criminal Procedure 125divorce
Judgment
A SIVIT. CHAND DHAWAN
v.
.JAWAHARLAL DHAWAN
JUNE 11, 1993.
B [MADAN HOMAN PUNCHHI AND YOGESHWAR DAYAL,JJ.]
Hindu Marriage Act, 1955-S.25 and Ss. 9w14, 24 & 28-'Any decree' in
S. 25-Dismissing of111atri111011ial peririon, held, does not constitute 'only decree·
for award of permanent maintenance or ali111011y-Marital sra111s has TO be
C!{fected or disrupted for maintenance to be awarded-Evidence Act, 1862, s. .f1
c
Hindu Marriage Acr, 1955-S. 25-Hindu Adoptions and Mai11tenance Act,
1956-S. 18-Held, Court cannot gra11t reliefofmaintenance simplicitor obrain-
able under one Act in proceedings under the other-Code of Criminal Procedure
1973. s. 125.
D
Imerpretarion ofStat11tes-Hind11 Marriage Act. 1955-S. 25-HinduAdop-
tions and Maintenance Acr, 1956-S. 18-He/d, where both sratwes codified and
clear on their subjects. liberality ofimerpretation cannot permit interchangeabil-
ity so as to destroy distinction.
E The P?rties were married in 1972 in Punjab. In 1985, a petition for .
divorce by riiutual consent was filed in court at Amritsar The appellant-wife
alleged that she was not a consenting par~·, and the petition was dismissed in
F
1987 following an agreement on the basis of which she would be put back in
the matrimonial home. However, barely three months later, the respondent-
husband filed a regular petition for divorce at Ghaziabad inter alia alleging
adultery against his wife. The appellant-wife refuted the charge. The Court
-
granted her maintenance pendente lite at Rs. 1,000 p.m. The husband not
paying this amount, the divorce proceedings stand sta~·ed.
On 22nd March, 1990 the appellant moved the DistrictJ udge, Amritsar
G and was granted Rs. 6,000 as litigation expenses and Rs. 2,000 as maintenance
pendente lite from the date of application under S. 24. She also claimed
permanent alimony and maintenance under S. 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act,
1955.
,,.r---
On appeal, the High Court held that an application under S. 25 was not
H
Q'i4
CHAND OHA WAN ,._ .IA W i\HARLAL 955
'~-
maintainable as the matrimonial court at amritsar had not passed an~· decree A
-:;,, for restitution of conjugal right'>, judicial separation, nullity or divorce.
Sequelly it <1uashed the order under S. 24 of the Act.
Dismissing the appeal, this Court
B
HELD: 1. The right of permanent maintenance in favour of the hushand
or the wife is dependent on the Court passing a decree of the kind envisaged
under Ss. 9 to 14 of the Act. In other words, without the marital status being
aflccted or disrupted by the matrimonial court under the Hindu Marriage
Act the claim of permanent alimony was not to be valid as ancilliary or
incidental to such affectation or disruption. c
Kadia Mari/al P11rsl10tlw111 v. Ka{/ia Lilava ti Gokaldas, AIR 1961 Guj 202;
Slwntaram GopalshetNarkarv. Hirabai, AIR 1962 Bom21;Minarani Majumdar
v. Dasarat/1 Majumdar, AIR 1963 Cal 428; Shantaram Dinkar Kamik ''·Ma/ti
Slwmaram Kamik, AIR 1964 Born S3;11kasam Chinna Babu \'.Akasam Parbati,
AIR 1967 Ori 163; Gurcharan Kaur v. Ram Chand, AIR 1979 P & H 206; D
· Darslta11 Sin,r?ll , .• Mst. Daso.. AIR 1980 Raj 102; Smt. Sushama v. Sari sh
Cha11der, AIR 1984 Del 1; Vinod Chandra Shanna,.. Smt. Rajesh Pathak, AIR
1988 All 150 and Ranganatham v. ShYamala, AIR 1990 Mad 1, affirmed .
. S1111. Swara11 Lara v. Suklll'inder Kumar, (1986) 1 Hindu LR 363; Sadanand
E
Sallade-a Rawoo/ v. S11locha11a Sadanand Rawool, AIR 1989 Born 220; Surendra
Si11gfT Chauhan v.Mamra Chauhan, II 1990 Divorce & Matrimonial Cases 208;
Mo,•~ilal ka/aramji Jain v. Lakshmi Modi/al .lain, AIR 1991B.om440; and Sh ilia
kga1111adlw Prasadv. Smt. Shi/la Lalitha K11111ari1988Hindu LR 26,overruled.
Durga Das''· Sm!. Tara Rani, AIR 1971 P & H 141, referred to. F
•
2. A Court intervening under the Hindu Marriage Act undoubtedly has
the power to grant permanent alimony or maintenance, if that power is
in\'oked atthe juncture when the marital status is affected or disrupted. ltalso
retains the power subsequently to be invoked on application ~y a party
entitled to 1·clief. And such order, in· all events, remains within the jurisdiction G
of that court, to he altered or modified as future situations may warrant.
3. While sustaining her murriage and preserving her marital status, a
Hindu wife's claim to maintenance is codified is S.18 of the Hindu Adoptions H
.-
956 SUPREME COL"Jff REPORTS (199'..l] 3 S.C.R.
A and Maintenance Act, 1956 and must necessarily be agitated thereunder.
4. The court is not at libert~· to grant relief of maintenance simplicitor
-·
obtainable under one Act in proceedings under the other. As is evident, both
the statutes are codified as such and arc clear on their subjects and by
liberality of interpretation inter-changeahility cannot be permitted so as to
B destroy the distinction on the subject of maintenace.
Carew & Co. v. Union t?( /ndia,[197512 sec 791 and Mawr Owners'
!11s11rance Co. Ltd. v. Jadmji Keshmji Mod~[1981] 4 sec 660, referred to.
C 5. When distinctive claims arc covered distinctly under two different
statutes, choosing of one forum or the other, are not mere prcccdural
technicalities or irregularities. These arc matters which go to the root ot'the
jurisdiction. The matrimonial court, a court of special jurisdiction, is not
meant to pronounce upon a claim of maintenance without having to go intc• the
exercise of passing a decree, which implies that unless it goes onwards, moves
D or leads through, to affect or disrupt the marital status hctwccn the parties.
By rejecting a claim, the matrimonial court docs make an appcalahlc decree
in terms of section 28, but neither affects nor disrupts the marriage. It
certainly does not pass a decree in terms of section 25 for its decision has not
moved or done anything towards, or led through, to disturb the marriage, or
to confer or to take away any legal character or status.
E
CIVILAPPELLATEJURISDICTION: Civil Appeal Nos. 2653-54of1991.
From the Judgment and Order dated 15 .2. 91 of the Punjab and Haryana High
Court in Civil Revision Nos. 2998 and 2919 of 1990.
F
D.V. Sehgal and N.K. Aggarwal for the Appellant.
G.L. Sanghi. P.P. Tripathi and Suchinto Chatterji for the Respondent.
G The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
PUNeHHI, J. The point which requires determination in these two appeals,
arising from a common judgment and order dated February 15, 1991 ofa Division
H
Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh, in Civil Revision
Nos. 2918 and 2919 of 1990 is, whether the payment of alimony is admissible
------
·.
CHAND DHAWAN ,.. 1. \WAHARLAL (PUNCHHI, J.J 957
- -t
without the relationship between the spouses being terminated.
The wife-appellant was married to the husband-respondent on September
A
19, 1972 at Amritsar, in the State of Punjab. Three children were bomfromthe wed
lock and are at present living with their father. Out of them two are males, their
respective years of birth being 1973 and 1980 and the third is a female born in the
year 1976. On 28-8-1985 a petition under section 13-B of Hindu Marriage Act, B
1955 (hereafter referred to as the Act') seeking divorce by mutual consent was
received by the court of the Additional District Judge, Amritsar purported to have
been failedjointlyby the two spouses. It was stated therein that the parties had been
living separately for over a year due to incompatibility of temperament and their
effort to settle their differences amongst themselves, or with the aid of friends and c
relatives, had been futile. On receipt the petition was kept pending, as was the
requirement of section 13-B of the Act. According to the wife she was not a
consenting party to the filing of such petition at all. Her version was that the
husband had duped her in obtaining her signatures on blank papers on a false
pretext and in turn had employed those papers in the said petition for divorce. On
coming to know of the pendency of the petition, she immediately filed objections D
before the court, obstructing the grant of petition. The respective pleas of the
parties were put to. issue and evidence was led. According to the wife some
understanding later was reached between the parties on the basis of which she was
to be put back in the matrimonial home and thus the petition was got dismissed on
19-8-1987, on the basis of the joint statement of the parties before the Additional
District Judge, Amritsar which was to the following effect: E
"We agree that applications under sections 24 and 25 of Hindu
Marriage Act may be dismissed. 'ti_ e also agree that since the parties
have not been able to make a joint statement within a period 9f six
months of the original petition, the main petition under section 13-
F
B of the Hindu Marriage Act may be dismissed. Otherwise too, the
parties to the marriage do not want to proceed with their main
application under section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act and the .
same be also dismissed and the parties may be left to bear their own
costs.
G
On the basis of the above statement, the court passed the following order, the
same day:
· ''The applicant and counsel for the parties have made their state-
ments recorded separately the main petition under section 13 and H
958 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1993] 3 S.C.R.
A also applications under sections 24 and 25 of the Hindu· marriage
Act are dismissed as withdrawn. The p~ies are left to bear their
own costs. The file be consigned."
It appears that the dismissal of the petition under section 13-B led only to a
temporary truce, and not peace as hoped. Rehabilitation in the matrimonial home
B evaded the wife. The husband, who in the meantime had established his business
at Ghazi bad in Utter Pradesh, barely three months after the dismissal of the petition
under section 13-B. approached the District Court at Ghaziabad in a regular
petition for divorce under section 13 of the Act levelling, amongst others,
allegations of adultery against the wife. To meet the offensive the wife refuted the
charge of adultery and prayed to the Ghaziabad Court grant of maintenance
c pendente lite, which the Court fixed at Rs. 1000 per month. It appears since the
husband had obstacled payment of maintenance pendente lite, divorce proceed-
ings stand stayed under orders of the High Court of Allahabad, until the order of
grant of maintenance pendente lite was obeyed. The matter thus s~ands stagnated
there.
D
The wife then went in an offensive. She moved the court of Additional
DistrictJudge,Amritsaron 22-3-1990, under section 15 of the Hindu Marriage Act
forthe grant of permanent alimony on the plea that she was facing starvation, when
her husband was a multi-millionaire, having cars, telephone facilities and other
amenities of life. Simultaneously she moved the court under section 24 of the
E Hindu Marriage Act for maintenance pendente lite and litigation expenses. After
a grim contest between the parties the Additional District Judge, Amritsar on
September 20, 1990 allowed the petition under section 24 of the Act granting her
a sum of Rs. 6000 as litigation expenses and Rs. 2000 per month as maintenance
·pendente lite, from ttie date of application. The husband challenged the said order
of grant in revision before the High Court of P~njab and Haryana at Chandigarh.
F The wife too approached the High Court in revision seeking enhancement of sums
under both counts. Both the revision petitions being referred to a larger bench were
disposed of by the common judgment under appeal sustaining the objection of the
husband that an application under section 25 of the Act was, in the facts and
circumstances, not maintanable; the Matrimonial Court at Amritsar, in the earlier
G litigation, having not passed any decree of the variables known as Restitution of
Conjugal Rights, Judicial Separation, Nullity of Marriage, or Divorce, so as to
quash proceedings under section 25 and sequally quashing the order under section
24 of the Act granting litigation expenses and maintenance pendeme lite. Hence
H these appeals. ,_..._
1 "llANDDHAWAN , .. JAWAllARLAL [PUNCHHI, J.) 959
Section 25 of the Act, as it now stands, after amendment by Act 68 of 1976, A
is reproduced hereunder:
"25 PERMANENT ALTh10NY AND MAINTENANCE (I) Any
court exercising jurisdiction under this Act may, at the time of
passing any decree or at any time subsequent thereto, on application·
made to it for purpose by either the wife or the husband, as the case B
may be, order that the respondent shall pay to the applicant for her
or his maintenance and support such gross sum or such monthly or
periodical sum for a term not exceeding the life of the applicant as,
having regard to the respondent's own income and other property,
if any, the income and other property of the applicant, [the conduct
c
-- of the parties and other circumstances of the case], it may seem to
the court to be just, and any such payment may be secured, if
necessary, by a charge on the immovable property of the respon-
dent.
(2) If the court is satisfied that there is, a change in the "circumstances D
of either party at any time after it has·made an order under sub-
section (1), it may at the instance of either party, very, modify or
rescind any such order in such manner as the court may deem just.
(3) If the court is satisfied that the party in whose favouran order has
been made under this section has remarried or, if such party is the E
wife, that she has not remained chaste, or, if such party is the
husband, that he has had sexual intercourse with any woman outside
wedlock, [it may at the instance of the other party very, modify or
. rescind any such order in such manner as the court may deem just]."
F
It is relevant to reproduce Section 28 as well:
''28 APPEAL FROM DECREES AND ORDERS- (l) All decrees
made by the court in any proceeding under this Act shall, s'ubject to
the provisions of sub-section (3) be appealable as decrees of the
court made in the exercise of its original civil jurisdiction, and every G
such appeal shall lie to the court to which appeals ordinarily.lie from
the decisions of the court given in the exercise of its original civil
jurisdiction.
(2) Orders made by the court in any proceeding under this Act, under H
960 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1993} 3 S.C.R.
A section 25 or Section 26 shall, subject to the provisions of sub-
section (3). be appealable if they are not interim orders and every
such appeal shall lie to the court to which appeals ordinarily lie from
the decisions of the court given in exercise of its original civil
jurisdiction.
B (3) There shall be no appeal under this section on the subject of costs
only.
(4) Every appeal under this section shall be preferred within a period
of thirty days from the date of the decree or order:·
c
Right from its inception, at the unamended stage, the words "at the time of
passing any decree or any time subsequent thereto" posed difficulty. The majority
of the High Courts in the country took the view that those words indicated that an
order for permanent alimony or maintenance in favour of the wife or the husband
could only be made when a decree is passed granting any substantive reliefand not
D where the main petition itself is dismissed or withdrawn. It was also gathered that
if no request for alimony was made at the time of passing the decree the same relief
could be sought subsequently on an application. The relief of permanent alimony
was deduced to be ancilliary or incidental to the substantive relief, and it was given
to the party to whom such relief was due. The expression "any decree" was viewed
to have been used having regard to the verious kinds of decrees such as decree for
E Restitution of Conjugal Rights, Judicial Separation, Nullity of Marriage, and
Divorce. which· could be passed either on contest or consent. Some of the High
Courts also had _?ccasion to distinguish between the expression "passing any
' cree·· referred.to in section 25 ( 1) with "decrees made" referred to. in section 28
0
,... Jviding for appeals from decrees and orders made by the Court in any proceed-
F ing under the Ac,~. and such decrees being appeal able, as decrees of the Court made
in exercise of its original civil jurisdiction. It led to the determination of the
question whether the denial of relief under the Act, when maI<ing a decree in the
sense appealable under section 28, could be it a decree passed within the meaning
of Section 25 entitling the respective spouses to claim permanent alimony
thereunder. On this question too there h<J" been rife a difference of opinion.
G
A Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court in Kadia Harilal Pursltottam
v. Kadia Li.lava ti G~kaldas1 AIR [ 1961] Gujarat 202; ruled that the words ·•at the
tt~ne of passing any decree or any time subsequent thereto .. occurring in ·section
25 meant passing of any decrees of the kinp referred to -in the earlier provisions of
H the Act and not at the time of di"missing the petition for any relief provided in those
CHAND DHA WAN'" JA \VAHARLAL [PUNCHHI. J] 961
sections, or any time subsequent thereto. It was viewed that the expression "any •A
decree.. did not include an order of dismissal and that the passing of an order ::>f
dismissal of the petition could not be regarded as the passing of decree within the
meaning of section 25. On that view a petition for permanent alimony preferred by
the wife was dismissed when the petition of the husband for restitution of conjugal
rights had been dismissed.
B
In Shantaram Copa/sher Narkarv. Hirabai, AIR [1962] Bombay 27- Vol.
49, a learned Single Judge of the Bombay High Court took the view that in order
to confer jurisdiction upon the court to proceed under section 25(1) there must be
--- a decree as contemplated underthe Hindu Marriage Act and one of the decrees can
be under section 10(1) (B). And when the petition was allowed to be withdrawn,
there was no decree passed in favour of the husband, and if there was no decree,
the court had no jurisdiction to pass any order granting permanent alimony to the
c
wife under section 25(1).
In Minarani Majwndar v. Dasarath Majumdar AIR [1963] Calcutta 428 -
Vol. 50, a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court ruled that an order dismissing D
a petition by the husband for divorce under section 13 is not a decree within the
meaning of section 25 and as such when no substantive relief is granted under
sections 9 to 14, there is no passing of a decree as contemplated by section 25 and
hence no jurisdiction to make an order for maintenance under the said section.
Harilal's case (supra) of the Gujarat High Court wa<; noticed and relied upon.
E
A learned Single Judge of the Bombay High Court in Sha111ara111 Dinkar
Kamik v. Malci Shantaram Karnik,AIR [ 1964] Bombay 83- vol. 51 relying on the
earlier decision of that court in Shamaram Gopalshet's case (supra) and kadia
Hiralat:s case (supra) reaffirmed the view that the expression .. passing of any
decree,. only referred to passing of any decrees provided for in section 9 to 13 of
F
the Act, even though technically speaking dismissal of a suit or a petition may be
called a decree but not for the purpose of section 25 confering jurisdiction on the
Matrimonial Court to grant permanent alimony.
A Division Bench oi· the Orissa High Court in Akasam Chinna Babu v.
Akasa111 Parbati & Another, AIR [ 1967) Orissa 163 - Vol. 54 denied the relief of G
permanent alimony when the petition for divorce of the husband had been
- ·-< dismissed. The views of the Bombay High Court and the.A1ujarat High Court
above-referred to were taken in aid to get to that view.
A three-Judge full bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in D11rga
H
962 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1993] 3 S.C.R.
~ ~
.t
A Das v. Smt. Tara Rani,AIR (1971) Punjab and Haryana 141- Vol. 58, in a different
context. while determining the question whether a party to a decree or divorce
rcould apply for maintenance under sub-section (I) of section 25 of the Act after
such decree has been granted, ruled that the proceedings for grant of permanent
alimony were incidental to the main proceeding and as such an application for
alimony could be made even after the grant of the decree for divorce.
B
A learned Single Judge of that Court, however, in Gurcharan Kaur v. Ram
Clu11u~AIR 1979 Punjab and Haryana 206 - Vol. 66 even while relying on the full
bench decision afore-referred went on to deny permanent alimony to the wife
whose claim for decree of Nullity of Marriage stood dismissed and on that basis -·
the petition for alimony was held not maintainable.
c
In f)arslwn Singh vs. Mst. Das~AIR 1980 Rajasthan 102 - Vol. 67 a lea.med
S111gk Judge of the Rajasthan High Court made a distinction between the
expression ..passing any decree'' occurring in section 25 and t.he expression
''decree made" under section 28. He viewed that the former expression meant
I> &r~uning any relief of the nature stated in sections 9 to 13 while the later meant
granting ur refusing the relief. In other words, it keant that passing of any decree
was to mean granting any relief, and the making of any decree wa-; to mean
granting or refusing any relief.
A Division Bench of the Delhi High court too in Smt. S11sl11na v. Shri Satish
E Cltande;~AlR 1984 Delhi I - Vol. 71 taking stock of the above-referred to views
of the Rajasthan, Orissa, Bombay, Calcutta and Gujarat High Courts affirmedly
took the view that the passing llf the decree in section 25 meant the passing of a
decree of Divorce, Nullity, Restitution of Conjugal Rights or Judicial Separation
and not the passing of a decree dismissing the petition. It was further held that if
F the petition fails then no decree is passed. i.e., the decree is denied to the applicant
and therefore alimony cannot be granted in a case where a decree is refused
·' because in such acase the marriage subsists. The word "decr.ee" in matrimonial
cases was held to have been used in a special sense different from that in which
it is used in the Civil Procedure Code,
G Following Delhi High Court's decision in S11sl1111a 's case (supra), a learned
Single Judge of the Allahabad High Court in Vinod Chandra Shanna v. Smt. .... __
Rajesh Patha/vAIR 1988 Allahabad 150- Vol. 75 opined that when an application
for divorce is dismissed, there is no decree passed and obviously therefore alimony
H cannot be granted because in such a case the marriage subsists.
CHAND DHA WAN v. JA WAHARLAL [PUNCHHI, J] 963
\
A learned Single Judge of the Madras High Court in Ranganatham v. A
Shyamla1AIR 1990 Madras 1 - Vol. 77 too following the above decisions held that
the existence of any of the decrees referred to in sections 9 to 13 is a condition
precedent to the exercise of jurisdiction under section 25 (1) of the Act and the
. granting of ancilliary relief for permanent alimony and maintenance, when the
main petition was dismissed, was not permissible.
B
A divergent view, however, was struck by a learned Single Judge of the
Punjab and Haryana High Court in Smt. Swaran Lara v. Suklivinder Kwnar;(l 986)
l Hindu Law Reporter 363 taking the view that when the rights of the parties stand
determined conclusively with regard to matters in controversy, irrespective as to
whether relief is granted or not, it culminates in a decree and on the pas is of that
decree, the wife would be entitled to claim maintenance or permanent alimony
c
under section 25 of the Act. Not only was on such interpretation of sections 25 and
28 the view taken but liberality of interpretation was injected to justify the view.
It was expressed that when the right of the wife to maintenance was assured under
section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and section 18 ofthe Hindu
Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 and when that right of the wife was not D
being disputed, the court, in order to avoid multiplicity of proceedings could give
effect to that right, wherever possible, in a proceeding under section 25 of the Act
. itself.. There the objection of the husband to the jurisdiction was termed as
· · .Tl't"tmical and the maintainability of claim under section 25 was upheld.
A learned Single Judge of the Bombay High Court in Sadanand Sahadeo E
Rawool v. S11/ocl1ana Sadanand Rawoo/,AIR 1989 Bombay 220- Vol. 76 also took
a similar view and based his deci&.ion on ..necessity of the times" expressing that
technicalities should not be allowed to away any court. In the situation, the
dismissal of petition for divorce was held to be no bar to grant maintenance under
section 25 to the successful spouse.
F
Then in Surendra Singh Chauhan v. Mamta Clza11han Il,(1990) Divorce &
Matrimonial Cases 208 a learned Single Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court
taking the view that the dismissal of a petition amounts to passing of a decree for
the purposes of Section 25 of the Act held that claim for permanent alimony was
maintainable. The learned Judge ruled that there appeared to be no justification for G
curtailing the ambit of the words to go on to hold that a decree is not a "decree"
for the purposes of section 25 of the Act, though a "decree" for the purposes of
section 28 of the Act. Here again the intention of the legislature was gathered
avoiding multiplicity of proceedings. so that every dispute between the parties,
particularly connected with matters like maintenance etc. should be settled in the H
964 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1993] 3 S.C.R.
A same proc·eedings.
A learned Single Judge of the Bombay High Court in Modi/al Kalaramjilain
v. Lakshmi Modi/al Jain,AIR 1991 Bombay 440 - Vol. 78 omitting the word
·'passing" from the expression, interpreted the expression "any decree;, to include
an order refusing to grant matrimonial rel~ef and on that basis held adjudication of
B claim of permane~t maintenance to be within the jurisdiction of the matrimonial
court.
Same is the view of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Shi/la Jagannadha
Prasad alias Ram v. Smt. Shilla Lalitha Kumari1 [1988] 1 Hindu Law Reporter 26
C and some other cases which need not be multiplied.
The preamble to the Hindu Marriage Act suggests that it is an Act to amend
and codify the law relating to marriage among Hindus. Though it speaks only of
the law relating to marriage, yet the Act itself lays down rules relating to the
solemnization and requirements of a valid Hindu marriage as well as Restitution
D of Conjugal Rights, Judicial Separation, Nullity of Marriage, Divorce. legitimacy
of children and other allied matters. Where the statute expressly codifies the law,
the court as a general rule, is not at liberty to go outside the law so created, just on
the basis that before its enactment another law prevailed. Now the other law in the
context which prevailed prior to that was the uncodified Hindu law on the subject.
Prior to the year 1955 or 1956 maintenance could be claimed by a Hindu wife
E through court intervention and with the aid of the case law developed. Now with
effect from December 21, 1956, the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act is in
force and that too in a codified form. Its preamble too suggests that it is an Act to
amend and codify the law relating to adoptions and maintenance among Hindus.
Section 18 (l) of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 195 6 entities a Hindu
wife to claim maintenance from her husband during her life-time. Sub-section (2)
F
of section 18 grants her the right to live separately. without forfeting her claim to
maintenance. if he is guilty of any of the misbehaviours enumerated therein or on
account of his being in one of objectionable conditions as mentioned therein. So
while sustaining hermarriage and preserving her marital status, the wife is entitled
to claim maintenance from her husband. On the other hand; under the Hindu
G Marriage Act, in contrast, her claim for maintenance pendente lite is durated on
the pendency of a litigation of the kind envisaged under sections 9 to 14 of the
Hindu Marriage Act, and her claim to permanent maintenance or alimony is based
on the supposition that either her marital status has been strained or affected by
passing a decree for restitution of conjugal rights or judicial separation in favour
ii or against her, or her marriage stands dissolved by a decree of nullity or divorce,
, CHAND DHAWAN l'. JA WAHARLAL [PUNCHHI, J] 965
with or without her consent. Thus when her marital status is to be affected or A
disrupted the court does so by passing a decree for or against her. On or at the time
of the happening of that event, the court being siezen of the matter, invokes its
ancilliary or incidental power to grant permanent alimony. Not only that. the court
retains the jurisdiction at subsequent stages to fulfil this incidental or ancilliary
obligation when moved by an application on that behalf by a party entitled to relief.
The court further retains the power to change or alter the order in view of the B
changed circumstances. Thus the whole exercise is within the gammit of a
diseased of a broken marriage. And in order to avoid conflict of perceptions the
legislature while codifying the Hindu Marriage Act preserved the right of
permanent maintenance in favour of the husband or the wife, as the case may be,
dependent on the court passing a decree of the kind as envisaged under sections
9 to 14 of the Act. In other words without the marital status being affected or .C
disrupted by the matrimonial court under the Hindu Marriage Act the claim of
permanent alimony was not to be valid as ancilliary or incidental to such
affectation or disruption. The wife's claim to maintenance necessarily has then to
be agitated under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 which is a
legislative measure later in point of time than the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955,
D
though part of the same socio-legal scheme revolutionizing the law applicable to
Hindus.
Section 41 of the Evidence Act inter alia provides that a final judgment,
order or decree of a competent court in the exercise of matrimonial jurisdiction,
which confers upon or takes away from any person any legal character, or which
declares any person <o be entitled to such character, is relevant. And that such
judgment, order or decree is conclusive proof as to the conferral, accrual, or taking
away of such. legal character from a point of time as declared by the court. Such
judgments are known as judgments in rem, binding the whole world. But the
judgment of thatkind must have done something positive, onwards. This provision
is indicative of the quality of matrimonial jurisdiction. F
We have thus, in this light, no hesitation in comingto the view that when by
court intervention under the Hindu Marriage Act, affection or disruption to the
marita.1 status has come by, at that juncture, while passing the decree, it undoubt-
edly has the power to grant permanent alimony or maintenance. if that power is G
invoked at that time. It also retains the power subsequently to be invoked on
application by a party entitled to relief. And such order, in all events, remains •
within the jurisdiction of that court, to be altered or modified as future situations
may warrant. In contrast, without affectation or disruption of the marital status, a
Hindu wife sustaining that status can live in separation from her husband, and H
966 .SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1993) 3 S.C.R.
A whether she is living in that state or not, her claim to maintenance stands preserved
in codification under section 18 ( 1) of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act.
The court is not at liberty to grant relief of maintenance simplicitor obtainable
under one Act in proceedings under the other. As is evident, both the statutes are
codified as such and are clear on their subjects and by liberality of interpretation
inter-changeability cannot be permitted so as to destroy the distinction on the
B subject of maintenance.
Relief to the wife may also be due under section 125 of the Code of Criminal
--
Procedure whereunder an order of maintenance can be granted after contest, and
an order of interim maintenance can be made at the outset, without much contest.
This provision however has two peculiar features:
c
(i) the provision applies to all and not only to Hindus; and
(ii) maintenance allowance cannot exceed a sum of Rs. 500 per mensem.
D But this is a measure in the alternative to provide destitute wives.
This court has ruled that if the language used in a statute can be construed
widely so as to salvage the remedial intendment, the court must adopt it. Of course,
if the language of a statute does not admit of the construction sought, wishful
thinking is no substitute, and then, not the court but the legislature is to blame for
E
enacting a damp squib statute. These are the observations of V .K. Krishna Iyer, J.
in Carew and Company v. Union of India_,[1915] 2 SCC 791 at pages 803-804.
Towards interpreting statutes, the court must endeavour to see its legislative
intendment. Where the language is ambiguous or capable of more than one
meaning, the court must sympathetically and imaginatively discover the true
F purpose and object of the Provision by filling gaps, clearing doubts, and mitigating
hardships, harshness or unfair consequences. See Motor Owners' Insurance
Company Limited VS • .ladaiji Keshaiji Modi and other.r,[ 1981] 4 sec 660 paras
14, 15 and 16. These principles were pressed into service by learned counsel for
the appellant contending that if the claim of the wife for maintenance was
otherwise justified on fact and law, the procedures and the fora should not stand
G in her way and let her cash on her claim over-ruling all objections. It was asserted
that the Amritsar court had jurisdiction to grant relief, as asked for, because once
upon a time it was seisin of the petition for dissolution of marriage by mutual
consent, though such petition was withdrawn.
H On the afore-analysis and distinction drawn between the fora and percepti ves,
CHAND DHA WAN"· .IA WAHARLAL [PUNCHHI. J] 967
it is difficult to come to the view that a claim which is ancilliary or incidental in A
a matrimonial court under the Hindu Marriage Act could be tried as an original
claim in that court; a claim which may for the moment be assumed as valid,
L
otherwise agitable in the civil court under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance
Act, 1956. As said before, these two enactments keeping apart, the remaining two,
i.e., Hindu Succession Act, 1956 and Hindu Minority and and Guardianship Act,
1956 are a package of enactments, being part of one socio-legal scheme applicable B
to Hindus. When distinctive claims are covered distinctly under two different
statutes and agitable in the courts conceived of thereunder, it is difficult to sustain
the plea that when a claini is otherwise valid, choosing of one forum or the other
should be of no consequence. These are not mere procedural technicalities or
irregularities, as termed by one line of reasoning by some of the High Courts.
These are matters which go to the root of the jurisdiction. The matrimonial court, c
... a court of special jurisdiction, is not meant to pronounce upon a claim of
maintenance without having to go into the exercise of passing a decree, which
implies that unless it goes onwards, moves or leads through, to affect or disrupt the
marital status between the parties. By rejecting a claim, the matrimonial court does
make an appealable degree in terms of section 28, but neither affects nor disrupts
D
the marriage. It certainly does not pass a decree in terms of section 25 for its
decision has not moved or done anything towards, or led through, to disturb the
marriage, or to confer or take away any legal character or status. Like a surgeon,
the matrimonial court, if operating, assumes the obligation of the post operatives,
and when not, leaves the patient to the physician.
E
On the afore analysis we have been led to the conclusion that the step of the
wife to move the court of Additional District Judge, Amritsar for grant of
maintenance under section 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act was ill-advised. The
judgment of the High Court under appeal could be no other than the one that it was
in the present stateoflaw and the facts and circumstances. It is still open to the wife
to stake her claim to maintenance in other fora. The judgments of the High Courts F
earlier quoted, and others which have been left out, which are not in line with our
view are over-ruled. The earlier and predominant view was the correct one and the
later an aberration; somerhing unfortunate fro!'n the precedential point of view. The
appeals thus inevitably have to and are hereby dismissed, but without any order as
to costs.
G
Before we part with this judgment, we need to mention that while this
judgment was reserved, an Interlocutory Application was received by the Regis-
try, which un-numbered Interlocutory Application was duly transmitted to us. It
is for directing the appellant to pay arrears of maintenance. While granting leave H
968 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1993) 3 S.C.R.
A this Court on 8th July, 1991 had ordered that during the pendency of the appeal,
but without prejudice to the respective stands of the spouses. the husband shall pay
a sum ofRs.1000 per mensem by way of maintenance to the wife month to month
by bank draft In the Interlocutory Application there is an allegation that this
Court's orders have not been complied with. Let notice on the application
separately be issued to the respondent returnable within six weeks to show cause
B why payment of arrears of maintenance be not secured to the wife forthwith.
U.R. Ar.peal dismissed.
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