Gayatri D/O Late Kailash Chandra Soni @ Mrs Gayatri W/O Ravi Soni v. The Government Of India, Ministry Of Law And Justice And ORS.

BALAJI GOVINDRAO PANCHAL Date: 2026.02.22 11:45:41 +0530 BALAJI GOVINDRAO PANCHAL 20-crwp-6481-2025 Shephali

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 6481 OF 2025

...Petitioner

Gaytri d/o Late Kailash Chandra Soni alias Mrs Gayatri w/o Ravi Soni

Versus

...Respondents

.....

Mr. Deepak N. Natu, with Mr. Milind D. Parab, i/b N. Deepak & Co, Advocates for the Petitioner.

Ms. Neha M. Patil, Advocate for Respondent No. 1. Mr. S.

V. Gavand, Additional Public Prosecutor, for Respondents Nos. 2 & 3-State.

.....

CORAM:

SHREE CHANDRASHEKHAR, CJ & SUMAN SHYAM, J.

DATE:

20th FEBRUARY 2026 PC:- Ms. Neha Patil, the learned counsel for respondent no. 1 The Government of India, Ministry of Law & Justice & Ors.

refers to section 8 of the General Clauses Act, 1897 and submits that the petition seeking a direction to the Central Government to amend the Family Courts Act is not maintainable.

2.

The learned additional public prosecutor tenders a copy of the Notification dated 16th July 2024 and submits that wherever there is any reference of the Indian Penal Code or

20-crwp-6481-2025 the Code of Criminal Procedure or Indian Evidence Act or any provision thereof is made in any Act made by the Parliament or Act made by Legislature of any State for the time being in force such reference shall respectively be read as the reference to Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 or Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 and the corresponding provisions of such law shall be construed accordingly.

3.

In view thereof, Writ Petition No. 6481 of 2025 stands disposed of.

4.

However, we issue a direction to the Court concerned to decide the application filed by the petitioner within a period of four weeks irrespective of the labeling of the petition and a report thereof shall be sent forthwith, to the registry of this Court.

5.

Let a copy of this order be communicated to the Principal District and Sessions Judges of all the District Courts within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Bombay including its Benches as also High Court of Bombay at Goa with a direction to them to decide all pending applications for maintenance or interim applications thereto within a period of next eight weeks.

(SUMAN SHYAM, J) (CHIEF JUSTICE) {