Maintainance under DVC and Sec.125 can be granted and maintainance - enchancement of Maintainance = the appellant applied for maintenance under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 In that proceeding, an amount of Rupees four thousand per month was awarded as maintenance by an order dated 26 August 2015. The appellant also sought maintenance under Section 125 of the CrPC in which an order dated 30 March 2015 was passed by the Family Court granting maintenance at the rate of Rupees Three Thousand per month. The appellant is hence receiving maintenance of Rupees Seven Thousand per month in total. =We are of the considered view, having regard to the position of the parties and their circumstances in life, that a total award of maintenance of Rupees Twelve Thousand per month including the amount awarded under the Domestic Violence Act should be granted. Hence, we order and direct that, in addition to the amount which has been awarded by the Family Court, under Section 125 of the CrPC, the appellant would be entitled to a further sum of Rupees Five Thousand per month commencing from the date of the judgment of the Family Court. We accordingly allow the appeals and enhance the monthly maintenance payable under Section 125 of the CrPC from Rupees Three Thousand per month to Rupees Eight Thousand per month with effect from 30 April 2015

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 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
      Criminal Appeal No(s) 1176-1177  of 2019
(Arising out of SLP (Crl) Nos 2511-2512 of 2017)
Monica Morton                                         Appellant(s)
                                VERSUS
Durgesh Kumar Pal                   Respondent(s)
O R D E R
Leave granted.
An  award  of maintenance  in  the  amount  of  Rupees  Three  Thousand  per
month   by   the   Family   Court   at   Allahabad   was   confirmed   by   the   High   Court   in
revision.
The appellant seeks an enhancement on the ground that the award under
Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 1
 is inadequate.
The   appellant   and   the   respondent   married   on   7   January   2000.     The
marriage   has   encountered   difficulties.     Parties   are   residing   separately.   In   2008,
the   appellant   applied   for   maintenance   under   the   Protection   of   Women   from
Domestic   Violence   Act   2005 2
.     In   that   proceeding,   an   amount   of   Rupees   four
thousand  per month  was  awarded  as  maintenance  by  an order dated  26 August
2015.   The appellant also sought maintenance under Section 125 of the CrPC in
which   an   order   dated   30   March   2015   was   passed   by   the   Family   Court   granting
1   CrPC
2   Domestic Violence Act

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maintenance at the rate of Rupees Three Thousand per month.   The appellant is
hence receiving maintenance of Rupees Seven Thousand per month in total.
The   respondent   was   a   Senior   Accountant   in   the   Controller   of   Defence
Accounts   at  Allahabad   and   attained   the   age   of   superannuation   on   31   January
2018. He  secured a divorce  from his earlier marriage before the parties  to these
proceedings were married.
The appeal was filed by drawing the attention of the Court to the fact that
for   August   2016,   the   pay   slip   of   the   respondent   indicated   a   gross   pay   of   Rs
1,11,133.  After deductions of Rs 25,328, the take home pay was Rs 73,427.
Noticing   this   contention,   this   Court,   by   its   order   dated   22   March   2019,
issued   notice   in   these   proceedings.   Pursuant   thereto,   the   respondent   has
appeared and filed his counter affidavit and a compilation of documents.
Learned   counsel   appearing   on   behalf   of   the   respondent   has   submitted
that   the   reliance   which   has   been   placed   by   the   appellant   on   the   pay   slip   for
August 2016 is misguided as the pay slip is not an accurate representation of the
respondents monthly salary and take-home pay for the month of August 2016 as
it included arrears of Rs 50,733.   Bearing this in mind, we have also perused the
pay slips for the months prior to and subsequent to August 2016 which have been
produced on the record. The pay slips indicate the following position:
Month Gross Pay (Rs) Net Pay (Rs)
July 2016 52,988 38,110
September 2016 62,807 43,914
May 2017 62,744 46,084
June 2017 62,744 46,084
The   learned   counsel   appearing   on   behalf   of   the   appellant   has   submitted
that the appellant is required to undertake expenses for her medical treatment and
is without any other means to maintain herself as she is not employed.

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On the other hand, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the respondent
has   submitted   that   the   respondent   himself   is   a   senior   citizen   and   therefore,   any
award of maintenance should not jeopardize his ability to maintain himself as well
in his years of retirement.
Though  the  respondent has  three  children  from the  earlier marriage  they
are now majors.   We are of the considered view, having regard to the position of
the   parties   and   their   circumstances   in   life,   that   a   total   award   of   maintenance   of
Rupees   Twelve   Thousand   per   month   including   the   amount   awarded   under   the
Domestic   Violence  Act   should   be   granted.   Hence,   we   order   and   direct   that,   in
addition   to   the   amount   which   has   been   awarded   by   the   Family   Court,   under
Section   125   of   the   CrPC,   the   appellant   would   be   entitled   to   a   further   sum   of
Rupees Five Thousand per month commencing from the date of the judgment of
the Family Court.  
We accordingly allow the appeals and enhance the monthly maintenance
payable under Section 125 of the CrPC from Rupees Three Thousand per month
to Rupees Eight Thousand per month with effect from 30 April 2015.  The arrears
payable   to   the   appellant   shall   be   payable   in   equal   monthly   instalments
commencing   from   the   month   of   August   2019   over   a   period   of   six   months,   in
addition to the regular maintenance as quantified by this order.
......................................................................J.
      (Dr. Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud)
......................................................................J.
       (Indira Banerjee)
 New Delhi;

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 August 01, 2019

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ITEM NO.6               COURT NO.9               SECTION II
               S U P R E M E  C O U R T  O F  I N D I A
                       RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.)  Nos.2511-2512/2017
(Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated  01-09-2016
in CRR No. 1744/2015 and 18-11-2016 in CRLMR No. 284878/2016 passed
by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad)
MONICA MORTON                                      Petitioner(s)
                                VERSUS
DURGESH KUMAR PAL                                  Respondent(s)
Date : 01-08-2019 These petitions were called on for hearing today.
CORAM :
         HON'BLE DR. JUSTICE D.Y. CHANDRACHUD
         HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE INDIRA BANERJEE
For Petitioner(s) Mr. Anilendra Pandey, AOR
Mr. C.P. Singh, Adv.
Mr. Madhusudan, Adv.
                 
For Respondent(s) Mrs. Mona K. Rajvanshi, AOR
Mr. Anurag Kashyap, Adv.
Mr. Ashwani Kumar, Adv.
                   
UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following
                               O R D E R
Leave granted.
The appeals are allowed in terms of the signed order.
Pending application, if any, stands disposed of.
  (SANJAY KUMAR-I)                 (SAROJ KUMARI GAUR)
     AR-CUM-PS                           COURT MASTER
(Signed order is placed on the file)