In a landmark initiative, the Allahabad High Court has made history by pronouncing a judgment in three languages simultaneously: English, Hindi, and Sanskrit. This unprecedented move is being hailed as a significant step in making judicial proceedings more inclusive and accessible.
The court addressed a petition concerning the enforcement of interim alimony ordered by a family court under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The High Court ruled that such orders must be implemented and clarified that an application under Section 482 CrPC is not maintainable for this purpose.
Instead, the petitioner should seek enforcement under Section 128 of the CrPC by approaching the family court.
Case Background
The decision was rendered by Justice Shiv Shanker Prasad while dismissing a petition filed by. Kanchan Rawat, who married Baijlal Rawat on December 1, 2009. Her family reportedly spent between 7 to 8 lakh rupees on the wedding. However, she faced harassment for dowry at her in-laws' home and was eventually forced to return to her parents' house. On November 26, 2011, she gave birth to her son, Gaurav.
Mrs. Rawat sought alimony from her husband, but when he failed to provide it, she filed a case in the family court of Ghazipur.
The family court ordered Baijlal Rawat to pay interim alimony of Rs. 4,000 per month under Section 125 CrPC, which he complied with initially. However, an outstanding amount of Rs. 80,000 remained unpaid. The court subsequently ordered Mr. Rawat to pay the balance in installments of Rs. 10,000 per month. When this directive was not followed, Mrs. Rawat filed a petition under Section 482 CrPC in the High Court, seeking enforcement of the payment.
High Court's Ruling
The opposition contested the maintainability of the petition, arguing that Mrs. Rawat should seek relief under Section 128 CrPC. The court upheld this objection and dismissed the petition, advising Mrs. Rawat to approach the family court for enforcement of the alimony order.
This judgment by Justice Shiv Shanker Prasad is not only significant for its content but also for its delivery in three languages, setting a precedent for future judicial pronouncements in India. This trilingual approach aims to bridge language barriers and ensure that justice is accessible to a wider audience.
