Wajed Khan vs Mohasinabi And Anr. on 16 March, 2001
8. Once we come to the conclusion that talaqnama is valid, the divorced Muslim wife is not entitled to any maintenance under Section 125, Chapter IX, Criminal Procedure Code. The law is no longer res Integra on this issue and the Full Bench judgment of this Court in Karim AR Shaikh v. Shehnaz Karim Shaikh (supra), has categorically answered the reference by laying down that after the commencement of the said Act, Muslim divorced wife cannot apply for maintenance under the provisions of Chapter IX of Criminal Procedure Code and it is only under Section 5 of the said Act that by agreement husband and divorced wife can approach Magistrate under Chapter IX, Cr.P.C. The entitle scheme of the said Act has been examined by the Full Bench for coming to the said conclusion. Therefore, from the date of talaq, the application for maintenance under Section 125, Cr.P.C. would not be maintainable. In the case under consideration, the application for maintenance was filed on 7.2.1991 and talaqnama was given on 17.7.1991 and till then the respondent No. 1 had not been divorced and as such her application which was filed on 7.2.1991 would be maintainable till the divorce was pronounced by talaqnama dated 17.7.1991. The Magistrate after having come to the conclusion in his judgment dated 5.4.1994 that in the circumstances, it is difficult to hold that non-applicant, namely the respondent No. 1 before had ill-treated the applicant. However, the Magistrate came to the conclusion that the respondent, namely the present applicant had refused and neglected to maintain the applicants. There findings on refusal and neglected to maintain have not been disturbed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge and these findings being of fact, cannot be interfered in an application under Section, 182, Cr.P.C. In view of the same, the respondent No. 2 would be, entitled to maintenance of Rs. 200/- per month till the date of talaqnama that is to say 17.7.1991 from the date of application, namely 7.2.1991.