Bombay High Court: S.S. Shinde, J. dismissed a petition while reiterating the decisions of the Supreme Court in the case, Nikita v. Yadwinder Singh, Criminal Appeal No. 1096 of 2019, wherein it was held that,
“At the place where the wife takes shelter after leaving or driven away from the matrimonial home on account of acts of cruelty committed by the husband or his relatives, would, dependent on the factual situation, also have jurisdiction to entertain a complaint alleging the commission of offences under Section 498-A of Indian Penal Code.”
In the present case, the petitioner and respondent married each other and Respondent 2 thereafter migrated to North Carolina, USA with the petitioner. On shifting to Carolina, in a matter of few years, Respondent 2 gave birth to a child with whom she left petitioner’s home and went to her brother’s place in Columbus. Petitioner after meeting Respondent 2 in Columbus filed a divorce and custody petition in the Supreme Court of California.
Further, it has been stated that, while the Supreme Court attempted to serve summons to Respondent 2, she deliberately evaded the service and shifted to Meerut in India. In the year 2015, Petitioner gave divorce to the Respondent 2 after which, Respondent 2 field permanent custody petition in Family Court, Bandra.
In 2016, Respondent 2 filed a Domestic Violence Case under Section 12 of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 before the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Mulund, that passed the maintenance order and in the year 2017, Sessions Court dismissed the Criminal Appeal filed by the petitioner.
Submissions of the parties
Counsels for the Petitioner, Prashant Pandey, Vijayalaxmi Shetty, Darshit Jain, Irfan Unwala and M.A. Khan, submitted that there was more than two years delay in filing the complaint by Respondent 2 before the Magistrate’s Court. When there was a delay, on the said ground alone, the Magistrate ought to have dismissed the complaint. Further, it was submitted that Magistrate has no jurisdiction to entertain the complaint since the alleged domestic violence is not committed in India.
Counsel appearing on behalf of the Respondent 2, Shaheen, submitted that Respondent 2 is residing at Mumbai with her brother, and therefore, she has instituted proceedings before Magistrate’s Court at Mumbai.
Petitioner was constantly threatening Respondent 2 and when Respondent 2 asked the petitioner about the renewal of visa, the petitioner flatly refused for such renewal. Petitioner relied on the Supreme Court case of Nikita v. Yadwinder Singh, Criminal Appeal No. 1096 of 2019 in respect to the jurisdiction of complaint received in regard to the commission of offences under Section 498A of Penal Code, 1860.
What the High Court held?
The bench in light of the Supreme Court decision stated above and along with the observations of the Courts below held that, there is no substance in the contention of counsel for the petitioner that, Magistrate’s Court at Mumbai has no jurisdiction to entertain the complaint.
In respect to the question of limitation for filing proceedings under Section 12, the Court relied on Supreme Court decision in Krishna Bhattacharjee v. Sarathi Choudhury, (2016) 2 SCC 705, wherein it was held that,
“…regard being had to concept of “continuing offence” and demands made by the wife, application made by appellant wife under Section 12 of the 2005 Act after about 2 years of judicial separation, not barred by limitation.”
Another point that the Court noted in respect to the alleged harassment was that the Courts below made prima facie observations about the same. Since the order passed by Magistrate directed the petitioner to pay interim maintenance is an interim order and the proceedings for the same are still pending, the Court stated that it would not be appropriate to give elaborate reasons about the allegations on harassment and domestic violence.
Thus, the Court in view of the above rejected the writ petition. [Mohammad Zuber Farooqi v. State of Maharashtra, 2019 SCC OnLine Bom 2295, decided on 25-09-2019]
