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1997 Supreme(P&H) 1179

PUNJAB & HARYANA HIGH COURT
R.S.Mongia and R.L.Anand JJ.
Jagsir Singh
Versus
Paramjit Kaur
First Appeal from the Order No. 168 of 1995,
Civil Miscellaneous No. 2201 of 1997,7870 of 1997,
Decided On : AUGUST 1, 1997

Headnote:

Hindu Marriage Act - Divorce by Mutual Consent - The court allowed the prayer of the parties and granted a decree of divorce by mutual consent under Section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act, deeming the allegations of cruelty to have been withdrawn by the respondent. The marriage between the parties had irretrievably broken down, and there were no chances of reconciliation, leading to the dissolution of the marriage.

Fact of the Case:

The respondent filed a petition for divorce on the ground of cruelty, which was granted by the Additional District Judge. The appellant filed an appeal against this decision and also pleaded that the respondent was not entitled to maintenance pendente lite as she had remarried. The respondent denied the remarriage and the birth of a child from the alleged remarriage.

Finding of the Court:

After reconciliation proceedings, it was evident that the marriage between the parties had irretrievably broken down. Both parties agreed to convert the petition for divorce into a petition for divorce by mutual consent under Section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act. The court granted permission for this conversion and subsequently granted a decree of divorce by mutual consent, deeming the allegations of cruelty to have been withdrawn by the respondent.

Issues: The issues involved the grant of divorce on the ground of cruelty, entitlement to maintenance pendente lite, and the conversion of the petition for divorce into a petition for divorce by mutual consent.

Ratio Decidendi: The court considered the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, the mutual consent of the parties, and the withdrawal of allegations of cruelty in granting the decree of divorce by mutual consent.

Final Decision: The court granted a decree of divorce by mutual consent under Section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act, deeming the allegations of cruelty to have been withdrawn by the respondent and dissolved the marriage between the parties forthwith.

Judgment

R.S.Mongia, J.

1. Smt. Paramjit Kaur respondent filed a petition Under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, against her husband Shri Jagsir Singh on the ground of cruelty, enlisting various allegations against her husband, fully enumerated in the main petition itself and these allegations were categorically denied and refuted by the appellant Shri Jagsir Singh. After a full length trial, the Additional District Judge, Barnala, vide judgment and decree dated 9th October, 1995 granted a decree of divorce on the ground of cruelty in favour of Smt. Paramjit Kaur. Aggrieved by the judgment and decree passed by the learned Additional District Judge, Shri Jagsir Singh filed F.A.O. N0. 168-M of 1995. Smt. Paramjit Kaur also filed an application Under Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act, claiming maintenance pendente lite and litigation expenses. She was awarded litigation expenses to the extent of Rs. 1,500/- besides Rs. 250/- per month as maintenance from the date of the application. Shri Jagsir Singh filed Civil Misc. No. 2201-M of 1997 pleading inter alia that his wife Smt. Paramjit Kaur had since remarried herself with one Pritam Singh son of Mela Singh on 23rd November, 1995 and a female child was also born out of this wedlock and in these circumstances she was not entitled to any maintenance pendente lite. This part of the assertion of Shri Jagsir Singh was denied by his wife Smt. Paramjit Kaur and in her reply she averred that she was never married to Pritam Singh and she did not give birth to any female child.

2. During the course of proceedings a suggestion was thrown to the parties to reconcile their differences but Smt. Paramjit Kaur was adamant that she did not want to live in the house of her husband Shri Jagsir Singh. During the course of reconciliation proceedings we were convinced that marriage between the parties had irretrievably broken and no useful purpose was likely to be served with the continuance of such marriage. In this eventuality both the parties agreed that the petition Under Section 13 of the Hinds Marriage Act. filed by Smt. Paramjit Kaur, may be converted into a petition Under Section 13-B of the said Act. After ascertaining the wishes of both the parties, we granted permission to the parties to convert the petition Under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act to Under Section 13-B of the said Act. In this case the marriage between the parties was solemnised in June 1999 and they are residing separately since 1993 and they have not cohabited with each other and they have not sunk their differences, nor there are any chances of any reconciliation as Smt. Paramjit Kaur in no eventuality is interested to live in the house of her husband. We also reckon the compulsory waiting period of six months required Under Section 13-B(2) of the Act from the date of filing of the petition Under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act. Statement of Smt. Paramjit Kaur has been separately recorded in which she has stated that she is living in the house of her parents and she had not resided with the appellant. She has also stated in her statement that she would not claim any past or future maintenance from her husband Shri Jagsir Singh, nor she would claim any right, title or interest in the property of the appellant. It has also been stated by her that she would withdraw her complaint pending in the Court of Judicial Magistrate, 1st Class, Barnala, and she has no objection if the petition filed by her Under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act is converted into Under Section 13-B of the said Act. She has Stated that a decree of divorce Under Section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, may be passed by dissolving the marriage between the parties by way of mutual consent. She has withdrawn her allegations of alleged cruelty vis-a-vis the appellant Shri Jagsir Singh, who has also admitted the statement of his wife Smt. Paramjit Kaur as correct and has no objection to the grant of the decree of divorce Under Sec

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