The Supreme Court, while hearing a case of marital discord, emphasized that the failure of a marriage does not signify the end of life. Exercising its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Court granted the couple a divorce. Additionally, it put an end to all pending legal proceedings between them. The ruling highlights the Court’s approach in resolving matrimonial disputes with a focus on justice and closure.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court emphasized that the failure of a marriage does not signify the end of life, encouraging a young couple to move forward instead of engaging in prolonged legal disputes.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan dissolved the marriage of a couple who had been involved in various litigations since their separation less than a year after their wedding.
Utilizing its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the court granted the divorce and terminated all pending legal proceedings between the parties.
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The bench stated,
“The parties are young. They must look ahead towards their future. If the marriage has failed, that is not the end of life for both. They must look ahead and start a new life,”
The case involved numerous litigations filed by both spouses and their families, encompassing both criminal and civil matters across different courts in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
The wife had accused her husband and in-laws of harassment, leading to several cases, including charges under Section 498A (cruelty to a woman by her husband or his relatives) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as proceedings under the Domestic Violence Act. In response, the husband and his family filed suits seeking damages and the transfer of cases.
The court noted that there were 17 different proceedings initiated between the couple and their relatives.
Highlighting the futility of extending the dispute, the bench advised,
“There is no point in contesting all these litigations, as these litigations will go on for years and years together.”
The court declared that the dissolution of marriage would conclude all ongoing disputes,the judgment, delivered on February 11 and released on Wednesday, stated.
“As we have dissolved the marriage, all the pending proceedings between the parties stand terminated. Even if there is any other proceeding not included in the list, the same stands terminated,”
This verdict reinforces the Supreme Court’s authority to dissolve marriages through its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution. While cruelty and desertion are recognized grounds for divorce under sections 13(1)(ia) and 13(1)(ib) of the Hindu Marriage Act, the concept of irretrievable breakdown of marriage was established by the Supreme Court in successive rulings.
A Constitution bench, in its ruling on May 1, 2023, confirmed the Supreme Court’s authority to use its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to dissolve marriages deemed unsalvageable.
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The five-judge bench noted that public interest is served by dissolving a “dead marriage” when a relationship has deteriorated beyond hope of repair, allowing the Supreme Court to grant divorce in cases of “irretrievable breakdown” without requiring the parties to go through family court procedures.
In this case, the court aimed to ensure that both parties could move on without the burden of ongoing legal disputes.
The bench, marking a definitive conclusion to their legal conflicts stated,
“The parties are requested to now live peacefully and proceed further in life,”
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