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2002 Supreme(Bom) 362

IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
J.G. Chitre, J.
Smruti Navin Naulakha .... Applicant.
Versus
Navin Subhash Naulakha.... Respondent.
Misc. Civil Application No. 36 of 2002, decided on 9-4-2002.
Advocates appeared :
Mrs. Neeta Karnik, for applicant.
V.N. Kantawala i/b. Kantawala Co., for respondent.

Headnote:Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 - Sections 19, 21 and 23 - Dissolution of marriage - Petition for at Bombay - Wife seeking transfer of from Bombay to Pune - Wife along-with her minor child of 2-1/2 years resides at Pune - Held - Allegations and counter allegations cannot be looked on face value in matrimonial disputes - Comparative hardship of wife is reasonable - Petition directed to be transferred to Pune Court. - Dealing with the matrimonial cases touching the interest of the minor child which is the outcome of the wedlock between such spouses, the paramount consideration would be the welfare of such unfortunate child of such fighting spouses in present case the happens to be 2-1/2 years old at present. As submitted by Smt. Karnik her mother is intending to get her admitted in play group which she can afford keeping in view that fact that she is a woman engaged in service and sufficient enough to earn for herself and for educating her child prima facie at present. A child who is expecting to be admitted in a play group is not at all required to be taken to Court premises for acquainting herself to the atmosphere of litigation at so early age and in beginning years of her life. It is well settled principle in deciding such matters that as far as possible such minor child should kept out of Court premises and nauseating atmosphere of allegations. If the matrimonial petition is permitted to be continued at Bandra in Family Court No. 6, the wife will have to carry said minor child Abha with her to Mumbai from Pune and till their number comes the said child will have to be in the outskirts of arena of battle field of litigation may be with the father of the mother or may be in the custody of some of her relations from mother side. This Court does not want that. If the said matrimonial petition is withdrawn from the family Court No. 6 Bandra and transferred to family Court, Pune, the wife can take care of keeping said minor child with some of her relatives in the house away from the Court s atmosphere and the atmosphere of litigation. In comparison to this the husband can afford to go from Mumbai to Pune because the means of communications are smoother and quicker. Now a person can travel from Mumbai to Pune by convenient train or motorable roads within hardly 3-1/2 hours and can return back on the same day. He can camp at Pune also for attending the hearing of the matrimonial case at Pune.

        Therefore, leaving aside the allegations and counter allegations made by spouses which are left to them to prove in the arena of battles of litigation, this Court by giving the paramount importance to the welfare of the said female child Abha withdraws the above mentioned matrimonial petition from family Court No. 6 Bandra and transfers it to family Court, Pune, for hearing and disposal according to law.

JUDGMENT - J.G. CHITRE, J.:---This transfer petition has been filed by one Smruti Navin Naulakha who happens to be the respondent in Family Court Petition No. A-1038 of 2001 which is pending before Court No. 6 of Family Court at Bandra intending towards achieving the goal of dissolution of marriage by decree which has been filed by Navin Subhash Naulakha. Smruti called hereinafter for convenience as wife and Navin would be called for convenience as husband in the course of this order. The wife has filed this petition with a prayer to withdraw it from said Court No. 6 of Family Court, Bandra and to transfer for the decision according to law to Family Court, Pune. The spouses have an offspring out of the said wedlock, who happens to be a female child aged about 2½ years old at present. Her name is Abha.

2. In the present petition, wife has put forth her difficulties which she would face, according to her in attending said Family Court for trial of said matrimonial petition. The husband has resisted the said prayer of transfer by putting forth his difficulties. He submitted that this transfer petition is filed only for the purpose of putting extra pressure on the husband by wife for getting a better monetary bargain in the settlement. It has been submitted on behalf of the wife that wife does not intend to do that but her more important object is to protect the interest of her daughter Abha. This submission came forth on account of the averment made on behalf of the husband during the pendency of the said matrimonial petition in Family Court No. 6, Bandra that there was a talk of settlement between the spouses and a draft was prepared mentioning the terms and conditions, which was presented before the said Court but at last moment the wife turned and said no to said settlement. It has been alleged by the husband that wife wants to extract money from the husband which has been denied by saying that she does not want anything for herself but she wants some monetary arrangement to be made for Abha and interest of Abha should be protected throughout Abha's life and when she saw that she was made to sign on the said settlement deed without giving anything to Abha she declined the said settlement.

3. For transferring the said matrimonial petition from Family Court, Bandra to Family Court, Pune the wife has submitted that it would be a hardship to her and her daughter Abha, if they are required to attend the Family Court, Bandra on every date of hearing because she will have to bring Abha with her and that would be causing hardship to Abha. It has been also submitted that in coming June, Abha would be admitted to “play group” at Pune school and it would be very difficult for wife to take her to Mumbai for attending the hearing of matrimonial petition. The husband has submitted that the wife happens to be a Chartered Accountant and therefore, it is very difficult to accept that she may sign on the said settlement deed without understanding the meaning of it. It has been averred by the husband that wife is conducting coaching classes, but thereafter, it has been modified that she is working as a teacher or instructor in coaching classes imparting coaching to students at Pune. It has been alleged that “stridhan” has been given to the wife at the time of said settlement deed which has been denied by the wife at the time of hearing of this petition. Both the parties wanted to have the adjournment of the hearing of this transfer petition for the purpose of filing counter affidavits of denials in respect of “stridhan” and in respect of coaching classes averment. This Court refused the prayer for adjournment keeping in view the welfare of the child and in view of the provisions of section 21 of Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (hereinafter referred to as, Hindu Marriage Act for convenience). The parties would be entitled to deny such allegations and all other allegations which are permitted to be done by lawful means whenever it is so needed. The obser



















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