Subsistence allowance
Full Text
(1) No judgment-debtor shall be arrested in execution of a decree unless and until the decree-holder pays into Court such sum as the Judge thinks sufficient for the subsistence of the judgment-debtor from the time of his arrest until he can be brought before the Court.
(2) Where a judgment-debtor is committed to the civil prison in execution of a decree, the Court shall fix for his subsistence such monthly allowance as he may be entitled to according to the scales fixed under section 57, or, where no such scales have been fixed, as it considers sufficient with reference to the class to which he belongs.
(3) The monthly allowance fixed by the Court shall be supplied by the party on whose application the judgment-debtor has been arrested by monthly payments in advance before the first day of each month.
(4) The first payment shall be made to the proper officer of the Court for such portion of the current month as remains unexpired before the judgment-debtor is committed to the civil prison, and the subsequent payments (if any) shall be made to the officer in charge of the civil prison.
(5) Sums disbursed by the decree-holder for the subsistence of the judgment-debtor in the civil prison shall be deemed to be costs in the suit: Provided that the judgment-debtor shall not be detained in the civil prison or arrested on account of any sum so disbursed.
Plain English Summary
Condition precedent to civil arrest and detention: the decree-holder must deposit advance subsistence allowance for the judgment-debtor, failure of which invalidates the arrest or entitles the debtor to immediate release.
Key Legal Elements
- Pre-Arrest Deposit: Traveling and meal expenses from arrest until production in court.
- Monthly Advance Payment (Sub-rule 3): Must be deposited before the 1st of every calendar month.
- Automatic Release upon Default: If decree-holder fails to pay monthly allowance, debtor is discharged.
- Costs in Suit: All subsistence sums paid are added to the decree amount recoverable from debtor.
Practical Note
Fatal Omission for Decree-Holders: If the decree-holder fails to deposit the subsistence allowance for even a single month in advance before the 1st day of the month, the prison authorities will release the judgment-debtor immediately. Once released for non-payment of subsistence allowance, the debtor cannot be re-arrested for the same decree!
हिंदी पाठ
(1) किसी भी निर्णय-ऋणी को डिक्री के निष्पादन में तब तक गिरफ्तार नहीं किया जाएगा जब तक कि डिक्रीदार न्यायालय में इतनी धनराशि जमा न कर दे जो न्यायाधीश की राय में उसकी गिरफ्तारी के समय से लेकर न्यायालय के समक्ष लाए जाने तक उसके निर्वाह (Subsistence) के लिए पर्याप्त हो।
(2) सिविल कारागार में निरुद्ध किए जाने पर न्यायालय धारा 57 के स्केलों के अनुसार उसका मासिक निर्वाह-भत्ता नियत करेगा।
(3) मासिक भत्ता प्रत्येक मास के प्रथम दिन से पूर्व अग्रिम रूप से डिक्रीदार द्वारा जमा कराया जाएगा।
(4) प्रथम संदाय न्यायालय के अधिकारी को तथा बाद के संदाय जेल अधीक्षक को किए जाएंगे।
(5) निर्वाह भत्ते की धनराशि वाद के खर्चों में जोड़ी जाएगी, किंतु उस खर्चे के लिए निर्णय-ऋणी को अतिरिक्त रूप से निरुद्ध नहीं किया जाएगा।