Bombay High Court: S.C. Gupte, J., dismissed a guardianship petition on the ground of jurisdiction.
A Guardianship petition was filed under Sections 6 and 11 of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956.
Petition sought petitioner’s appointment who was stated to be the father of the two minors for whose guardianship the present petition was filed.
Another relief was sought concerning the minor’s property, particularly a declaration that the respondent mother had unauthorizedly and fraudulently withdrawn or transferred amounts from the bank accounts of the minors for her personal use and benefit and a recovery order by making payment to the petitioner as their natural guardian or by depositing the same in the bank accounts of the minors.
Section 7 read with Section 8 of the Family Courts Act reserves exclusive jurisdiction to entertain a suit or proceeding in relation to the guardianship of the person of any minor unto Family Courts by virtue of Clause (f) of the Explanation to Sub-section (1) of Section 7.
Full Bench of Bombay High Court observed that in view of the provisions of the Family Courts Act, the Court exercising its ordinary original civil jurisdiction relating to matters under the Family Courts Act would lose its jurisdiction to the Family Court, since the former would be a district court and under Section 17 of the Family Courts Act that Act would have an overriding effect.
An application for guardianship of the minor’s person can lie only before the Family Court.
Bench while moving forward with other prayers expressed that an application for a declaration about the property of a minor, which is said to be fraudulently or unauthorisedly transferred, and an order for recovery of that property cannot lie in a guardianship petition independently of any claim for being appointed as a guardian of the person or property of a minor.
“…what lies before a court, other than a family court under Section 7 of the Family Courts Act, is an application for appointment of guardian of the property of a minor or an application for permission to deal with such property. It is only these applications which are made by means of a guardianship or a miscellaneous petition before this court.”
Petitioner’s case was that the bank accounts were created and monies were deposited into them for the sake of ensuring the minors’ pursuit of education and that these amounts, meant for the minors’ education, were illegally withdrawn by the respondent mother.
To the above, Court stated that is the petition sought to be framed as a petition for making provision for maintenance of the minors by seeking to recover amounts illegally withdrawn by respondent-wife, it would obviously be an application in the nature of a proceeding for maintenance. The said application would also exclusively lie before the family court.
Hence, In Court’s opinion, the instant guardianship petition was dismissed, and this Court had no jurisdiction to entertain the same. [Ashu Khurana Dutt v. Aneesha Ashu Dutt, 2021 SCC OnLine Bom 550, decided on 01-04-2021]
Advocates before the Court:
Mr Shanay Shah i/b. Sapana Rachure for Petitioner.
Mr Santosh Paul, Senior Advocate with Pradip Chavan, Mahir Bhatt and Manan Sanghai i/b. Wasim Ansari for Respondent.