Nutan Gautam vs Prakash Gautam

REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL No(s). 3409-3410 OF 2019 (Arising out of SLP(C) No(s).28166-28167 OF 2018)

NUTAN GAUTAM Appellant(s)

VERSUS

PRAKASH GAUTAM Respondent(s)

J U D G M E N T

R. Subhash Reddy, J.:

(1) Leave granted.

(2) These appeals are filed by the wife of the respondent

herein aggrieved by orders dated 21.05.2018 and 20.08.2018

passed by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in First

Appeal NO.316 of 2018.

(3) The marriage of the appellant-wife and the respondent-

husband was solemnized in the year 2006. In the year 2009 a

son was born to them who is named Krish alias Master Krishav

Gautam. In the year 2012, respondent-husband filed a petition

for divorce under Section 13(1)(ia)(iii) of the Hindu Marriage

Act, 1955. The said divorce petition is decreed ex-parte by Signature Not Verified

the Trial Court in favour of the respondent-husband. Digitally signed by MAHABIR SINGH Date: 2019.04.05

The Trial 16:30:35 IST Reason:

Court also directed that the son of the appellant, namely,

Krish alias Master Krishav Gautam, should be admitted in Col. 2

Satsangi’s Kiran Memorial Public School, New Delhi.

(4) Aggrieved by the ex-parte order, the appellant herein

filed First Appeal NO.316 of 2018 before the High Court of

Judicature at Allahabad. Pursuant to order of the Family

Court, the son of the parties has been admitted in Col.

Satsangi’s Kiran Memorial Public School, New Delhi, and he has

been put in a Boarding House of the School. By way of an

interim order dated 21.05.2018, which is impugned in these

appeals, the respondent-husband was permitted to take the boy

with him to Delhi and to leave him in the Boarding House till

the start of the summer vacations of 2018. Further, the

appellant-mother was permitted to take the child in summer

vacations and leave him in the School/Boarding House before the

reopening of the School.

(5) The Family Court has also awarded an amount of Rs.10,000/-

per month towards maintenance for the appellant-wife. In view

of the plea of the respondent-husband that the appellant-wife

is entitled for maintenance only from one forum, appellant-wife

is directed to elect one forum to which she wants to get

maintenance.

(6) After reopening of the School in the summer vacation, it

appears that the boy, Krish @ Master Krishav Gautam, was not

willing to go to study in the Boarding House in Col. Satsangi’s

Kiran Memorial Public School, New Delhi. Further, fifteen 3

days’ time was granted by the High Court to the appellant-

mother vide Order dated 20.08.2018 to comply Order dated

21.05.2018.

(7) We have heard Mr. Harikumar V., learned counsel appearing

for the appellant-wife, and Mr. R. Basant, learned senior

counsel appearing for the respondent-husband.

(8) It is contended by learned counsel for the appellant-wife

that the boy is not willing to study in the Col. Satsangi’s

Kiran Memorial Public School, New Delhi, as he is attached to

his mother very much and intends to study in his old school.

Accordingly, he was admitted in Global International School,

Shahjanpur, where he is comfortable with his studies. It is

submitted at the Bar that as welfare of the child is the

paramount consideration and he is good at studies by pursing

his study in Global International School also at Shahjanpur,

and requested to set aside the impugned order and permit the

boy to continue in the same school at Shahjanpur.

(9) On the other hand, Shri R. Basant, learned senior counsel

appearing for the respondent, has submitted that the respondent

is willing to join his son in the best school of Delhi by

paying more than Rs.2,00,000/- (Rupees Two Lakhs) towards fees

and it is in the interest and welfare of the child to allow him

to study only at Col. Satsangi’s Kiran Memorial Public School,

New Delhi. Further, It is submitted that there was a specific 4

direction for joining the boy in the Boarding House/School at

New Delhi after reopening, the appellant-wife has violated

Order dated 21.05.2018 and further Order dated 20.08.2018. It

is submitted that wish of the child itself is not a criteria

and the welfare of the child will be best served by admitting

him in Col. Satsangi’s Kiran Memorial Public School, New Delhi.

(10) We have heard learned counsel on both the sides, perused

Orders dated 21.05.2018 and 20.08.2018 and other materials

placed on record.

(11) It is clear from the materials placed on record, in view

of the differences cropped up between the parties, respondent-

husband has filed petition for divorce under Section 13(1)(ia)

(iii) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, in the year 2012 which

is decreed ex-parte and appeal against that order is pending

before the High Court. The appellant-wife is presently

residing at her parental house at Shahjanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The boy is studying in Global International School, Shahjanpur,

Uttar Pradesh, while granting ex-parte decree it appears that

the Trial Court directed that their son should be admitted in

Col. Satsangi’s Kiran Memorial Public School, New Delhi. In

view of such direction, it appears, the boy was admitted in the

said School at New Delhi and was allowed to be taken by the

appellant-wife in the summer vacation of 2018. 5

(12) It is true that in Order dated 21.05.2018, the respondent

was permitted to take the son and get him joined at Boarding

House in Col. Satsangi’s Kiran Memorial Public School, New

Delhi, and the appellant-wife was permitted to take custody of

the boy in the summer vacation and to ensure that he returns to

the Boarding House after summer vacation. It is the case of

the appellant that after summer vacation the boy was not

inclined to go to the Boarding House/School and wanted to study

only in his old school, namely, Global International School,

Shahjanpur. It is also not in dispute that the child was

earlier studying in the same school where he is admitted now

for further studies. We are informed now that he has now

completed 3rd standard and is aged about 10 years. It is

natural, a boy of that age who has studied earlier in the

school at Shahjanpur, willing to continue in the same school as

much as he is acclimatised with the environment of such school

where he has started his studies from Ist standard onwards.

This Court also interacted with the boy and the boy expressed

his desire to continue his studies only in Shahjanpur school.

When the boy is not inclined to study in Col. Satsangi’s Kiran

Memorial Public School, New Delhi, and stay in the Boarding

House, we are of the view that in the interest of the welfare

of the child, he cannot be compelled to admit in Col.

Satsangi’s Kiran Memorial Public School, New Delhi, attached

with the Boarding House. In such view of the matter, it cannot

be said that the appellant-wife has violated the direction

issued by the High Court vide Orders dated 21.05.2018 and 6

20.08.2018.

(13) From the very perusal of the order impugned, it appears

that the High Court has ascertained the views of the boy and

has recorded that he is very much attached and has more

affiliation towards his mother (appellant herein). In that view

of the matter we are of the opinion that the child, namely,

Krish @ Master Krishav Gautam cannot be compelled to join in

Col. Satsangi’s Kiran Memorial Public School at New Delhi.

We are further of the view that in the interest and welfare of

of the child, Krish @ Master Krishav Gautam shall be allowed to

continue his study at Global International School, Shahjanpur.

(14) Further, in the impugned order, the appellant-wife is

directed to elect one forum from which she wants to get the

maintenance. As the same is also not in conformity with the

law, the said direction is liable to be set aside. Ordered

accordingly.

(15) As the respondent-husband is a natural father of the

child, namely, Krish @ Master Krishav Gautam, he is also

entitled to visitation rights. We permit the respondent-

husband to visit his child and he is entitled to take the child

from the House of the appellant on any Sunday’s and public

holiday’s whenever he visits Shahjanpur. The appellant-wife

shall allow the child to leave along with the respondent-father

at 09:00 a.m., and the respondent-husband to return the child 7

at the house of the appellant-wife before 06:00 p.m. on the

same day. For any further modification of visitation rights

respondent-father is at liberty to move the High Court with

appropriate application and the same shall be considered in

accordance with law, keeping in view the welfare of the child.

(16) For the aforesaid reasons, Orders dated 21.05.2018 and

20.08.2018 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

in First Appeal No.316 of 2018 are set aside. We request the

High Court to dispose of the appeal itself as expeditiously as

possible in accordance with law.

(17) In the result, the appeals are allowed with the

direction’s as indicated above. No costs.

.........................J. (R. BANUMATHI)

.........................J. (R. SUBHASH REDDY) NEW DELHI, APRIL 5, 2019.