(1.) THE appellants in these two appeals are daughters of the sole respondent. As of now they are aged 22 and 20 years respectively. The respondent herein has filed a petition for divorce against the mother of the appellants i. e. one Smt. Smita Pusalkar. That proceeding is pending. During the pendency of that proceeding, both these daughters filed two separate petitions under section 20 of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 (for short, the said Act) before the Family Court at Pune bearing Nos. P. C. 24 of 2001 and P. C. 25 of 2001 respectively. Both these petitions came to be rejected by order dated 29th May 2001 passed by a learned Judge of the Family Court, Pune. The learned Judge took the view that the petitions did not disclose any cause of action. He took the view that since the daughters were no longer minors they could not claim maintenance under section 20 (2) of the said Act. He, therefore, rejected their petitions under Order 7, Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(2.) BEING aggrieved by this order, these two appeals have been filed. After the appeals were admitted, their hearing was expedited. Mr. Anturkar has appeared for the appellant in both these matters and Mr. Pradeep Patil has appeared for the respondent.
(3.) THE questions which arise for our consideration are mainly two-fold. Firstly, as to whether such a petition by an adult unmarried daughter could be filed under section 20 of the said Act and secondly, as to whether the same could be filed in the Family Court.