According to Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973,
Order for maintenance of wives, children and parents — (1) If any person having sufficient means neglects or refuses to maintain.
(a) his wife, unable to maintain herself, or
(b) his legitimate or illegitimate minor child, whether married or not, unable to maintain itself, or
(c) his legitimate or illegitimate child (not being a married daughter) who has attained majority, where such child is, by reason of any physical or mental abnormality or injury unable to maintain itself, or
(d) his father or mother, unable to maintain himself or herself, a Magistrate of the first class may, upon proof of such neglect or refusal, order such person to make a monthly allowance for the maintenance of his wife or such child, father or mother, at such monthly rate [* * *], as such Magistrate thinks fit, and to pay the same to such person as the Magistrate may from time to time Direct.
Provided that the Magistrate may order the father of a minor female child referred to in clause (b) to make such allowance, until she attains her majority, if the Magistrate is satisfied that the husband of such minor female child, if married, is not possessed of sufficient means.
Provided further that the Magistrate may, during the pendency of the proceeding regarding monthly allowance for the maintenance under this sub-section, order such person to make a monthly allowance for the interim maintenance of his wife or such child, father or mother, and the expenses of such proceeding which the Magistrate considers reasonable, and to pay the same to such person as the Magistrate may from time to time direct.
Provided also that an application for the monthly allowance for the interim maintenance and expenses for proceeding under the second proviso shall, as far as possible, be disposed of within sixty days from the date of the service of notice of the application to such person.
Explanation — For the purpose of this Chapter.
(a) “minor” means a person who, under the provisions of the Indian Majority Act, 1875 (9 of 1875), is deemed not to have attained his majority;
(b) “wife” includes a woman who has been divorced by, or has obtained a divorce from, her husband and has not remarried.
(2) Any such allowance for the maintenance or interim maintenance and expenses for proceeding shall be payable from the date of the order, or, if so ordered, from the date of the application for maintenance or interim maintenance and expenses of proceeding, as the case may be.]
(3) If any person so ordered fails without sufficient cause to comply with the order, any such Magistrate may, for every breach of the order, issue a warrant for levying the amount due in the manner provided for levying fines, and may sentence such person, for the whole or any part of each month’s allowance for the maintenance or the interim maintenance and expenses of proceeding, as the case may be, remaining unpaid after the execution of the warrant, to imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or until payment if sooner made :
Provided that no warrant shall be issued for the recovery of any amount due under this section unless application be made to the Court to levy such amount within a period of one year from the date on which it became due :
Provided further that if such person offers to maintain his wife on condition of her living with him, and she refuses to live with him, such Magistrate may consider any grounds of refusal stated by her, and may make an order under this section notwithstanding such offer, if he is satisfied that there is just ground for so doing.
Explanation — If a husband has contracted marriage with another woman or keeps a mistress, it shall be considered to be just ground for his wife’s refusal to live with him.
(4) No wife shall be entitled to receive an allowance for the maintenance or the interim maintenance and expenses of proceeding, as the case may be, from her husband under this section if she is living in adultery, or if, without any sufficient reason, she refuses to live with her husband, or if they are living separately by mutual consent.
(5) On proof that any wife in whose favor an order has been made under this section is living in adultery, or that without sufficient reason she refuses to live with her husband, or that they are living separately by mutual consent, the Magistrate shall cancel the order.
Madhya Pradesh — In Section 125—
(one) for the marginal heading, the following marginal heading shall be substituted, namely—
“Order for maintenance of wives, children, parents’ and grand parents” (two) in sub-section (1),
(a) for the words “five hundred rupees” the words “three thousand rupees” shall be substituted-M.P. Act No. 10 of 1998, Sec. 3, w.e.f. 29-05-1998.
(b) after clause (d), the following clause shall be inserted, namely”
(e) his grand father, grand mother unable to maintain himself or herself.”;
(c) in the existing para, for the words “a magistrate of the first class may, upon proof of such neglect or refusal, order such person to make a monthly allowance of the maintenance of his wife or such child, father or mother, at such monthly rate not exceeding three thousand rupees in the whole, as such magistrate thinks fit, and to pay the same to such person as the Magistrate may from time to time direct”, the words “a Magistrate of the first class may upon proof of such neglect or refusal, order such person to make a monthly allowance for the maintenance of his wife or such child, father, mother, grand father, grand mother at such monthly rate, as such Magistrate thinks fit, and to pay the same to such person as the Magistrate may from time to time direct” shall be substituted;
(d) after the existing first proviso, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely.
“Provided further that the relative s in clause.
(e) shall only be entitled to monthly allowance for maintenance if their sons or daughters are not alive and they are unable to maintain themselves.” M.P. Act No. 15 of 2004, Sec. 3, w.e.f 26-11-2004.
Rajasthan — Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, in sub-Section
(1), for the words “five hundred” the words “two thousand five hundred” shall be substituted-Rajasthan Act 30/2001, w.e.f. 10-5-2001.
Uttar Pradesh — In Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, hereinafter referred to as the Principal Act, :
*[(a) in sub-Section (1), for the words “five hundred rupees” the words “five thousand rupees” shall be substituted.]
* Omitted by the Code of Criminal Procedure (U.P. Amendment) Act, 2011, S. 3. (b) after sub-Section (5), the following sub-Section shall be inserted, namely.
(6) Where in a proceeding under this Section it appears to the Magistrate that the person claiming maintenance is in need of immediate relief for his support and the necessary expenses of the proceeding, the Magistrate may, on his application order the person against whom the maintenance is claimed, to pay to the person claiming the maintenance, during the pendency of proceeding such monthly allowance [***] and such expenses of the proceeding as the Magistrate considers reasonable and such order shall be enforceable as an order of maintenance.”- U.P. Act No. 360/2000, w.e.f. 13.8.2001.
The words “not exceeding five thousand rupees” omitted by the Code of Criminal Procedure (U.P. Amendment) Act, 2011 S. 2.