Mohammed Ismail Quadry vs Nousheen Fathima on 14 July, 2026

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    Telangana High Court

    Mohammed Ismail Quadry vs Nousheen Fathima on 14 July, 2026

             HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA
    
                  CRIMINAL PETITION No. 7730 of 2026
    
    
    Between :
    
    Mohammed Ismail Quadry S/o Mohammed
    Ibrahim Quadry, aged 37 years, Engineer, R/o
    12-11-629/200,     L.N.Nagar,   Warasiguda,
    Secunderabad, T.S.
    
                                                              ....Petitioner
                                 VERSUS
    
    Nousheen Fathima W/o Mohammed Ismail
    Quadry, aged 29 years, Household and two
    others.
    
                                                          ... Respondents
    
    DATE OF JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED: 14.07.2026
    
    
           THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE J. SREENIVAS RAO
    
    
      1.    Whether    Reporters    of     Local         Yes/No
            newspapers may be allowed to see the
            Judgments?
    
      2.    Whether the copies of judgment may           Yes/No
            be marked to Law Reporters/Journals?
    
      3.    Whether Their Ladyship/Lordship wish         Yes/No
            to see the fair copy of the Judgment?
    
    
                                                   _______________________
                                                   J. SREENIVAS RAO, J
                                      2
    
    
           THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE J. SREENIVAS RAO
    
                 + CRIMINAL PETITION No. 7730 of 2026
    
    % Dated 14.07.2026
    
    #      Mohammed     Ismail   Quadry    S/o
          Mohammed Ibrahim Quadry, aged 37
          years, Engineer, R/o 12-11-629/200,
          L.N.Nagar, Warasiguda, Secunderabad,
          T.S.
    
                                                           ....Petitioner
                                  VERSUS
    $      Nousheen Fathima W/o Mohammed
          Ismail Quadry, aged 29 years, Household
          and two others.
    
    
                                                      ... Respondents
    
    ! Counsel for Petitioner   : Mr. Y.Krishna Mohan Rao
    
    ^ Counsel for Respondents :Mr.P.Vamsheedhar Reddy (For R.1 & R.2)
                               Mr.Jithendar Rao Veeramalla, Addl.P.P.
                               (For R.3)
    
    
    < GIST:
    
    > HEAD NOTE:
    
    ? CITATIONS:
    
        1. 2025 LawSuit (All) 1250
        2. 2026 LawSuit (P&H) 12(2014) 16 SCC 715
        3. (2018) 12 SCC 199
                                        3
    
    
    HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD
    
          THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE J. SREENIVAS RAO
    
                  CRIMINAL PETITION No. 7730 of 2026
    
                            DATE: 14.07.2026
    
    Between :
    
    Mohammed Ismail Quadry
                                                                ....Petitioner
    
                                     AND
    
    Nousheen Fathima and two others.
                                                          ....Respondents
    
                                :ORDER:

    This Criminal Petition has been filed by the petitioner

    aggrieved by the order dated 31.03.2026 passed by the learned

    SPONSORED

    Judge, Principal Family Court-cum-XIII Additional Metropolitan

    Sessions Judge, Hyderabad, (hereinafter referred to as ‘the trial

    Court’) in M.P.No.565 of 2025 in M.C. No.216 of 2024, whereby the

    learned trial Court directed the petitioner to pay an amount of

    Rs.40,000/- per month to respondent No.1 and Rs.20,000/- per

    month to respondent No.2 towards their interim maintenance.

    2. Brief facts of the case:

    2.1 Respondent Nos.1 and 2 have filed M.C. No.216 of 2024

    against the petitioner invoking the provisions of Section 125 of the

    Cr.P.C. claiming maintenance of Rs.80,000/- per month to

    respondent No.1 and Rs.40,000/- per month to respondent No.2,
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    who is none other than son of respondent No.1. Along with the said

    M.C., respondent No.1 filed M.P.No.565 of 2025 on her behalf and

    also on behalf of her son seeking interim maintenance at

    Rs.80,000/- per month to herself and Rs.40,000/- per month to her

    son. The trial Court was pleased to allow the said petition in part

    directing the petitioner to pay an amount of Rs.40,000/- per month

    to respondent No.1 and Rs.20,000/- per month to respondent No.2

    towards their interim maintenance. Hence the present criminal

    petition.

    3. Heard Mr.Y.Krishna Mohan Rao, learned counsel for the

    petitioner, Mr.P.Vamsheedhar Reddy, learned counsel for respondent

    Nos.1 and 2, and Mr.Jithendar Rao Veeramalla, learned counsel for

    respondent No.3.

    4. Submissions of learned counsel for the petitioner:

    4.1 Learned counsel submitted that respondent No.1 is working in

    NTT Data Private Limited as an ERP Senior Specialist and drawing a

    monthly salary of an amount of Rs.87,000/- and she filed an

    affidavit of Assets and Liabilities in M.C. No.216 of 2024, wherein

    she specifically stated the above said facts and therefore, she is

    having sufficient means to maintain herself and to maintain her

    minor son. The learned trial Court, without taking into

    consideration the above said fact, erroneously directed the petitioner

    to pay a huge amount of Rs.40,000/- per month to respondent No.1
    5

    and Rs.20,000/- per month to respondent No.2 towards their interim

    maintenance.

    4.2 He further submitted that the learned trial Court passed a

    cryptic order without assigning any reasons, merely on the ground

    that the petitioner is an employee and drawing a monthly salary of

    Rs.2.18 lakh per month and he is having responsibility to maintain

    respondent Nos.1 and 2 and therefore, he is liable to pay the interim

    maintenance, without taking into consideration the fact that the

    petitioner has to maintain himself and also look after his old aged

    parents. Hence, the impugned order passed by the learned trial

    Court is liable to be set aside.

    4.3 In support of his contentions, he relied upon the following

    decisions;

    i) Ankit Saha v. State of U.P. and another 1;

    and

    ii) Anu Aggarwal v. Sushant Aggarwal 2.

    5. Submissions of learned counsel appearing for respondent

    Nos.1 and 2:

    5.1 Per contra, learned counsel submitted that the marriage of the

    petitioner and respondent No.1 was solemnized on 14.02.2021 at

    1
    2025 LawSuit (All) 1250
    2 2026 LawSuit (P&H) 12
    6

    Hyderabad, as per Muslim Rites and Customs, and at the time of

    their marriage, the parents of respondent No.1 had given Rs.5 lakhs

    of cash, 10 tulas of gold, 50 tulas of silver, wrist watch and other

    household articles, however, the petitioner and his family members

    harassed respondent No.1 demanding additional dowry. Petitioner

    and respondent No.1 were blessed with a son on 05.11.2021. In the

    month of January, 2022, respondent No.1 returned to the

    matrimonial house of the petitioner from her parents’ house. The

    petitioner and his family members have harassed her, and failed to

    provide her with proper food and demanded for additional dowry of

    Rs.20 lakhs. In the month of May 2022, the petitioner and his family

    members picked up a quarrel with respondent No.1 and beat her

    mercilessly and necked her out along with the minor son from the

    matrimonial house. At that stage, respondent No.1 came to know

    from reliable sources that the petitioner had married another woman

    and was living with her. Hence, respondent No.1 lodged the

    complaint before the Police, Allapur, Cyberabad. Based on the said

    complaint, Crime No.163 of 2024 was registered for the offences

    punishable under Section 498-A of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of

    the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 against the petitioner and others.

    The petitioner has not provided any financial assistance and not

    taken care of respondent No.1 or her minor son in any manner and
    7

    that the petitioner neglected them, though he is having sufficient

    means to pay the maintenance to them.

    5.2 He further submitted that respondent No.1 is an educated

    lady, with great hardship for the well being of the minor to brought

    up has performing odd jobs and making the sense to survive herself

    and her minor child without disturbing the day to day life. She is

    residing at the area of Mehdipatnam and she has no other source of

    income and respondent No.2 is a student and he required school fee,

    transportation, food, shelter and also medical expenses. The learned

    trial Court after duly taking into consideration the above said facts

    allowed the petition in part and directed the petitioner to pay an

    amount of Rs.40,000/- per month to respondent No.1 and

    Rs.20,000/- per month to respondent No.2 towards their interim

    maintenance, though respondent No.1 claimed an amount of

    Rs.80,000/- per month to her and Rs.40,000/- per month to

    respondent No.2. There are no grounds to interfere with the well

    considered impugned order passed by the trial Court and the

    criminal petition filed by the petitioner is liable to be dismissed with

    costs.

    Analysis:

    6. Having considered the rival submissions made by the

    respective parties and upon perusal of the material available on
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    record, it reveals that the marriage of the petitioner was solemnized

    with respondent No.1 on 14.02.2021 and there is no dispute in

    respect of the relationship between the petitioner and respondent

    Nos.1 and 2. The specific case of respondent No.1 is that she and

    her minor son were necked out from the matrimonial house of the

    petitioner in the month of May 2022 and since then they are living

    separately and the petitioner has neither taken care of them nor

    given any financial support to respondent No.1 and her minor son.

    Even according to the petitioner, he is employed with Verizon Data

    Services India Private Limited as a Senior Engineer CSLT Software

    Development and earning an amount of Rs.2.18 lakhs per month.

    The specific case of respondent No.1 is that the petitioner is also

    having other source of income of Rs.1 lakh per month. Respondent

    No.1 in her affidavit filed before the trial Court specifically stated that

    she is an educated woman and she is living along with her son at the

    area of Mehdipatnam and respondent No.2 is going to school for

    pursuing studies and he requires school fee, transportation, food,

    shelter and medical expenses. The said facts were not disputed by

    the petitioner. Taking into consideration the above said facts, the

    learned trial Court allowed the petition filed by respondent Nos.1 and

    2 in part and directed the petitioner to pay an amount of

    Rs.40,000/- per month to respondent No.1 and Rs.20,000/- per

    month to respondent No.2 towards their interim maintenance.
    9

    7. The only ground raised by the learned counsel for the

    petitioner is that respondent No.1 is an employee and even according

    to her affidavit of Assets and Liabilities, she is drawing a monthly

    salary of Rs.87,000/- and therefore, she is not entitled to claim any

    maintenance from the petitioner is concerned, the petitioner and

    respondent No.1 have been living separately since 30.05.2022 and

    that the petitioner has not disputed that their minor son was living

    with respondent No.1 and she is taking care of him and the

    petitioner has not provided any financial assistance either to

    respondent No.1 or respondent No.2 towards their maintenance.

    Further, the specific case of respondent No.1 that the amount which

    was drawing through her employment is not sufficient to maintain

    herself and to maintain her minor son. Hence, this Court is of the

    considered view that the petitioner being husband of respondent

    No.1 and father of respondent No.2, there is an obligation on his part

    to take their care and to provide necessary financial assistance to

    them, especially the petitioner is a Software Employee and drawing a

    good amount of salary of more than Rs.2 lakhs.

    8. It is relevant to mention that in Sunita Kachwaha v. Anil

    Kachwaha 3 the Hon’ble Apex Court held that the wife had a

    postgraduate degree, and was employed as a teacher in Jabalpur.

    The husband raised a contention that since the wife had sufficient

    3
    (2014) 16 SCC 715
    10

    income, she would not require financial assistance from the

    husband. The Hon’ble Apex Court repelled the said contention, and

    held that merely because the wife was earning some income, it could

    not be a ground to reject her claim for maintenance.

    9. In Shailja v. Khobbanna 4, the Hon’ble Apex Court held that

    merely because the wife is capable of earning, it would not be a

    sufficient ground to reduce the maintenance awarded by the Family

    Court. The Court has to determine whether the income of the wife is

    sufficient to enable her to maintain herself, in accordance with the

    lifestyle of her husband in the matrimonial home. Sustenance does

    not mean, and cannot be allowed to mean mere survival.

    10. The judgments relied upon by the learned counsel for the

    petitioner in Ankit Saha (supra) and Anu Aggarwal (supra) are not

    applicable to the facts and circumstances of the present case on the

    ground that wife in both the cases suppressed the material fact of

    their employment and also in the above said judgments, the trial

    Court disposed of the main cases after a full-fledged trial. Aggrieved

    by the final orders of the trial Court, the parties therein have

    approached the respective High Courts. Whereas in the case on

    hand, respondent No.1 has not suppressed any material fact,

    especially she filed an affidavit of Assets and Liabilities in the main

    4
    (2018) 12 SCC 199
    11

    M.C. stating that she is an employee in NTT Data Private Limited and

    drawing salary of Rs.87,000/- per month and the said amount is not

    sufficient to maintain herself and her minor son and the learned trial

    Court disposed of the interlocutory application and awarded interim

    maintenance to respondent Nos.1 and 2 basing upon the pleadings

    of the respective parties and the main M.C. is still pending and

    ripened for trial.

    11. It is already stated supra that the petitioner and respondent

    No.1 are husband and wife and respondent No.2 is their minor son

    and there is an obligation on the part of the petitioner to take care of

    respondent Nos.1 and 2, and to provide necessary financial aid to

    them, especially the petitioner is a Software Employee, drawing a

    good amount of salary of more than Rs.2 lakhs.

    12. For the foregoing reasons as well as the peculiar facts and

    circumstances of the case, the precedent decisions of the Hon’ble

    Apex Court in Sunita Kachwaha (supra) and Shailaja (supra), and to

    meet the ends of justice to the parties, this Court is of the considered

    view that the impugned order passed by the learned trial Court is

    liable to be modified insofar as to the extent of granting interim

    maintenance to respondent No.1 as mentioned below;

    i) The petitioner is directed to pay an amount of Rs.20,000/-

    (Rs.Twenty thousand only) per month in the place of
    Rs.40,000/- per month, to respondent No.1 towards her
    12

    interim maintenance from the date of filing of the petition till
    the disposal of the main M.C.

    ii) The petitioner is further directed to pay monthly
    maintenance on or before 10th of every succeeding month
    and to pay arrears to respondent No.1 within a period of four
    (4) weeks from today.

    iii) The rest of the impugned order stands confirmed.

    13. During the course of hearing, it is brought to the notice of this

    Court that before the learned trial Court in M.C.No.216 of 2024,

    pleadings were completed and the matter is coming up for trial.

    Taking into consideration the above said facts and circumstances,

    the learned trial Court is directed to conclude the trial and dispose of

    the main M.C., in accordance with law uninfluenced by any of the

    observations made in this order and in the impugned order, as

    expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of four (4)

    months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. The parties

    in the lis are directed to cooperate with the trial Court for disposal of

    the case without seeking undue adjournments.

    14. With the above directions, the criminal petition is disposed of.

    Miscellaneous applications, pending if any, shall stand closed.

    _______________________
    J. SREENIVAS RAO, J
    Date: 14.07.2026

    Note: L.R. copy to be marked.

    b/o
    pgp



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