The Allahabad high court has directed all trial courts across Uttar Pradesh to ensure that execution applications in maintenance cases are decided within six months. The court issued a stern warning that non-compliance with the directive may amount to contempt of both the Supreme Court and the high court.
“All the trial courts falling within the jurisdiction of the State of Uttar Pradesh are directed to comply with the directions issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the judgment of Periyammal (supra) and the circular dated 24.05.2025 issued by the Registrar General of this Court and to ensure that execution applications in maintenance cases are decided within a period of six months,” the bench observed.
A bench of Justice Praveen Kumar Giri passed the order on October 13 while dismissing a criminal revision filed by a man challenging a September 2024 order of a family court in Kasganj directing him to pay ₹3,000 per month to his wife and ₹1,000 each to their two minor children until they reach majority.
The maintenance was payable retrospectively from April 18, 2022, the date when the original application was filed. The high court dismissed the revision plea after refusing to condone an inordinate delay of about 645 days, finding the reasons furnished for the delay insufficient.
