CR.RA/809/2007 1/5 JUDGMENT IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD CRIMINAL REVISION APPLICATION No. 809 of 2007 For Approval and Signature: HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE BANKIM.N.MEHTA ========================================================= 1 Whether Reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment ? No. 2 To be referred to the Reporter or not ? No. 3 Whether their Lordships wish to see the fair copy of the judgment ? No. 4 Whether this case involves a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the constitution of India, 1950 or any order made thereunder ? No. 5 Whether it is to be circulated to the civil judge ? No. ========================================================= CHANDRAKANT GANESHBHAI TAYDE - Applicant(s) Versus STATE OF GUJARAT & 1 - Respondent(s) ========================================================= Appearance : MR RAKESH R PATEL for Applicant(s) : 1, PUBLIC PROSECUTOR for Respondent(s) : 1, None for Respondent(s) : 2, ========================================================= CORAM : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE BANKIM.N.MEHTA Date : 16/01/2008 ORAL JUDGMENT 1. Rule. Learned advocate Mr. R.R. Bagdi waives service of notice of Rule on behalf of respondent No. 2. Learned A.P.P. Mr. K.C.Shah waives service CR.RA/809/2007 2/5 JUDGMENT of notice of Rule on behalf of respondent No. 1 – State. 2. In the facts and circumstances of this case and with the consent of the learned advocates for the parties, this Criminal Revision Application is taken up for final hearing today. 3. Petitioner – husband has filed this Criminal Revision Application under Section 397 read with Section 401 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as “Cr. P.C.”) and challenged order dated 4-4-2007 passed by the learned Judge, Family Court No.2, Ahmedabad in Criminal Misc. Application No.2755 of 2006. 4. The petitioner and respondent are married according to Hindu rites. The respondent – wife filed application u/s 125 of Cr. P.C. before the Family Court, Ahmedabad and claimed allowance for her maintenance from the petitioner – husband. 5. The learned trial Judge issued notice to the petitioner – husband who appeared before the Family Court, Ahmedabad but did not give application for adjournment. Therefore, his CR.RA/809/2007 3/5 JUDGMENT right to file reply was closed on 13-3-2007. Thereafter, on 4-4-2007 the petitioner filed reply and gave application Exh. 6 to reopen his right to file reply. The learned Judge did not reopen the right of the petitioner to file reply as the other side objected to it and passed the impugned order. Being aggrieved by the said decision, the petitioner husband has filed this Criminal Revision Application. 6. I have heard learned advocate Mr. Rakesh K. Patel for the petitioner, learned advocate Mr. R.R. Bagdi for respondent No.1 and learned A.P.P. Mr. K.C. Shah for respondent No. 1 – State at length and in great detail. 7. It may be stated that the respondent – wife has also filed Criminal Revision Application No. 486 of 2007 against the impugned orders dated 4-4-2007 and 14-5-2007 passed below Exh. 2 and Exh. 8 respectively filed in the aforesaid proceedings whereby her right to lead evidence is closed. 8. The respondent – wife filed maintenance application u/s 125 of the Cri. P.C. claiming maintenance from the petitioner – husband before CR.RA/809/2007 4/5 JUDGMENT the Family Court, Ahmedabad. The petitioner appeared in the Court but did not file reply. Therefore, his right to file reply was closed on 13-3-2007. Thereafter, on 4-4-2007 the petitioner gave application Exh. 6 to reopen his right to file reply and also filed reply to the application but the court rejected the application as other side objected. It is required to be noticed that though respondent wife was present in the Court on 4-4-2007, learned Judge closed her right to lead evidence and when she gave application Exh. 8 on 14-5-2007 to reopen her right; learned Judge rejected the application as the petitioner objected. It appears that learned Judge did not consider the fact that maintenance proceedings under Chapter IX of the Code are essentially civil proceedings. Learned Judge ought to have given sufficient opportunity to the parties but it appears that learned Judge passed the order mechanically and without assigning proper reason. It appears that learned Judge has shown unnecessary haste, which has resulted into miscarriage of justice. The reason assigned by learned Judge is not sustainable. As observed earlier learned Judge also rejected the application of respondent wife to permit her to lead evidence and the order is challenged before this Court. Learned Judge has not exercised the CR.RA/809/2007 5/5 JUDGMENT jurisdiction vested in him. Therefore, impugned order is required to be quashed and set aside. 9. In the result, this application is allowed and impugned order dated 4-4-2007 refusing to take reply on record and to permit reopen his right to file reply passed by Judge, Family Court No.2, Ahmedabad in Criminal Misc. Application No.2755 of 2006 is quashed and set aside and the petitioner is permitted to file reply to the application. The Family Court, Ahmedabad shall decide the case in accordance with law after affording opportunity of hearing to the parties. Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent. D.S. is permitted. (Bankim N. Mehta, J.) /JVSatwara/