[1.0] RULE. Shri Pratik Barot, learned advocate, who has appeared through Gujarat High Court Legal Aid Committee for respondent No.2, waives service of notice of Rule on behalf of the respondent No.2 and Shri L.B. Dabhi, learned Additional Public Prosecutor waives service of notice of Rule on behalf of respondent No.1. In the facts and circumstances of the case and with the consent of learned advocates appearing on behalf of respective parties, present application is taken up for final hearing today. [2.0] Present Criminal Revision Application under Section 397 read with Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as “CrPC”) has been preferred by the applicant – husband – original opponent to quash and set aside the impugned order dated 07.05.2012 passed below Exh.21 in Criminal Miscellaneous Application No.1818 of 2009 by the learned 3rd Judge, Family Court, Ahmedabad, by which the application submitted by the applicant to issue witness summonses upon the concerned persons/officers to examine them as defence witnesses has been rejected.
[3.0] That respondent No.2 herein has initiated proceedings before the learned Family Court, Ahmedabad for claiming maintenance under Section 125 of the CrPC against the applicant herein – original opponent which has been numbered as Criminal Miscellaneous Application No.1818 of 2009. It appears that simultaneously the respondent No.2 herein – original applicant has also initiated proceedings before the learned Magistrate for claiming the maintenance / other reliefs under the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act (hereinafter referred to as “Act”). That during the hearing of the aforesaid Criminal Miscellaneous Application No.1818 of 2009 and during the evidence / crossexamination, the original applicant specifically denied having any account in any bank account more particularly State Bank of India, Bhadra Branch, Lal Darwaja Branch, Ranip Branch, Ellisbridge Branch, Ahmedabad etc. However, according to the applicant, the applicant herein – original applicant had not stated the correct facts and according to him the original applicant – wife is having account in the aforesaid banks / branches and insurance etc. and other insurance policies and therefore, the application was submitted before the learned Magistrate in the proceedings of the Act to issue the witness summonses to the concerned persons named in the application Exh.21 in the present proceedings and as such the said application was allowed and the learned Magistrate directed to issue witness summonses upon the said persons / officers of the concerned bank / insurance company. However, thereafter, after the evidence of the original applicant was closed in the proceedings being Criminal Miscellaneous Application No.1818 of 2009. Thereafter the applicant submitted the application Exh.21 requesting the learned Family Court to issue witness summonses upon the persons named in the said application (which was infact allowed by the learned Magistrate in the proceedings under the Act) and by impugned order the learned Family Court has dismissed the said application mainly on the ground that by such application, applicant is trying to delay the proceedings and despite the fact that the evidence on behalf of the original applicant – wife is closed, the applicant is not entering into the witness box for giving his evidence.
[3.1] Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the impugned order passed by the learned Judge, Family Court, Ahmedabad dated 07.05.2012 passed below Exh.21 in Criminal Miscellaneous Application No.1818 of 2009, the applicant herein – original opponent – husband has preferred the present Criminal Revision Application.
[4.0] Shri Samirkhan Pathan, learned advocate appearing on behalf of the applicant has vehemently submitted that learned Family Court has materially erred in rejecting application Exh.21 and not issuing the witness summonses upon the persons named in the said application. It is submitted that as such the persons against whom the witness summonses are sought to be issued are already called in other proceedings in the Act and those persons are already called as witness summonses in the said proceedings and they are examined. Therefore, it is submitted that as such there is no reason to reject the application Exh.21. It is further submitted that as such there is no delay on the part of the applicant at all and all throughout the applicant has cooperated. It is further submitted that as the original applicant wife has not stated the correct facts and has even denied any bank account in the banks though the same has been proved in other proceedings, it has been proved that the original applicant wife is having bank accounts in other banks, it has necessitated to issue witness summons upon the persons named in the application Exh.21 to examine them as defence witness. Therefore, it is requested to allow the present application. He has relied upon the following decisions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court as well as this Court in support of his prayer to allow the present Revision Application.
1. Mahe Aalam vs. State of Uttar Pradesh 2005 CriLJ 4554
2. Kalyani Baskar vs. M.S. Sampoornam (2007)2 SCC 258
3. T. Nagappa vs. Y.R. Muralidhar 2008(2) GLH 553
4. G.Someshwar Rao vs. Samineni Nageshwar Rao (2009)14 SCC 677
5. Gautambhai Bababhai @ Shantibhai Patel vs. State of Gujarat 2012(2) GLR 1073 [5.0] Shri Pratik Barot, learned advocate appearing on behalf of respondent No.2 has tried to oppose the present application by submitting that as such the applicant is not entering into the witness box and is not giving his evidence and is trying to delay proceedings of such application. However, he is not in a position to dispute that a similar application submitted by the applicant to issue the witness summonses upon the persons mentioned in the application Exh.21 was given by the very applicant in other proceedings under the Act and the same has been allowed and other persons are examined. He has requested that if this Court is inclined to allow the present application and consequently allow application Exh.21, in that case it may be suitably observed that the witness summonses are issued against those persons named in the application Exh.21 at the earliest and they are examined at the earliest and the learned Family Court to decide and dispose of the maintenance application at the earliest.
[5.1] Shri L.B. Dabhi, learned APP has requested to pass appropriate order in the facts and circumstances of the case.
[6.0] Heard learned advocates appearing on behalf of respective parties at length. At the outset it is required to be noted that by application Exh.21, the applicant is requested to issue witness summonses upon the persons named in the said application and the same has been rejected by the learned Family Court mainly on the ground that the said application has been submitted to delay the proceedings as well as on the ground that the applicant husband is not entering into the witness box. However, from the rozkam it appears that as such the applicant has never tried to delay the proceedings. It is also required to be noted that a similar application was given by the applicant in other proceedings under the Act and the said application has been allowed and against those persons the witness summonses have been issued and they are also examined and the said order has attained the finality. Therefore, as such there is no reason not to issue witness summonses upon the persons named in the application Exh.21 as defence witnesses. Under the circumstances and considering the aforesaid decisions of this Court as well as Hon'ble Supreme Court referred to herein above, impugned order passed by the learned Family Court below application Exh.21 cannot be sustained and the same deserves to be quashed and set aside and consequently the said application deserves to be allowed. However, to see that there is no further delay in disposal of main application, suitable direction is issued directing the learned Family Court to issue witness summonses upon the persons named in the said application at the earliest and to examine those witnesses at the earliest and to conclude the main case at the earliest.
[7.0] Present Criminal Revision Application is allowed. Impugned order dated 07.05.2012 passed below application Exh.21 in Criminal Miscellaneous Application No.1818 of 2009 is hereby quashed and set aside and consequently application Exh.21 in Criminal Miscellaneous Application No.1818 of 2009 is hereby allowed and the learned Family Court is hereby directed to issue summonses upon the persons named in the said application Exh.21 at the earliest but not later than one week from the date of receipt of the present order and to see to it that those witnesses are examined at the earliest but preferably within a period of three months from such issuance of the witness summonses and thereafter to conclude and finally decide and dispose of the main Criminal Miscellaneous Application No.1818 of 2009 at the earliest and preferably within a period of six months thereafter without fail. Rule is made absolute accordingly. Direct service is permitted.
(M.R. Shah, J.) Menon