Court No. - 4
Case :- FIRST APPEAL No. - 790 of 2019
Appellant :- Lakhan Lal
Respondent :- Rekha Rani
Counsel for Appellant :- Jadu Nandan Yadav,Agnivesh
Hon'ble Bala Krishna Narayana,J. Hon'ble Rohit Ranjan Agarwal,J.
Heard learned counsel for the appellant.
This appeal is directed against the order dated 30.08.2019 passed by Principal Judge, Family Court, Hamirpur in Civil Misc. Case No. 04/74/2019, (Smt. Rekha Rani Vs. Lakhan Lal) by which the application 4 क moved by the defendant/respondent u/s 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 has been allowed in part and the appellant is directed to pay a sum of Rs. 3,000/- per month as interim maintenance, Rs. 3,000/- towards litigation expenses and Rs. 500/- per day towards conveyance charges.
Learned counsel for the appellant has submitted that since the appellant is earning a sum of Rs. 4,500/- per month only and both the children of the appellant and defendant/respondent are residing with him, the amount of interim maintenance awarded, considering the monthly income of the appellant, is on the higher side and hence, the impugned order is liable to be modified to the extent it directs the appellant to pay a sum of Rs. 3,000/- per month as interim maintenance to the defendant/respondent. Moreover, the defendant/respondent had left her matrimonial home at her own sweet will and on that account also, she is not entitled to any interim maintenance.
Having heard learned counsel for the appellant and perused the impugned order as well as other material brought on record, we find that a very meagre amount of Rs. 3,000/- has been awarded as maintenance. Considering the high cost of living, a person requires atleast Rs. 100/- per day to meet his daily expenses. Hence, we do not find that the Principal Judge, Family Court, Hamirpur committed any error or illegality in awarding interim maintenance to the defendant/respondent at the rate of Rs. 3,000/- per month. We, therefore, refuse to interfere with the impugned order.
However, considering the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, we direct the Principal Judge, Family Court, Hamirpur to make every possible endeavour to decide the Civil Misc. Case No. 04/74/2019, (Smt. Rekha Rani Vs. Lakhan Lal), as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of six months from the date of filing of certified copy of this order before him.
Subject to aforesaid observations, this appeal is disposed of finally.
Order Date :- 26.11.2019 KS