Point of Law:
While passing its decree under Section 13-B would be slow and circumspect before it can infer existence of such jurisdictional fact – Court has to be satisfied about existence of mutual consent between parties on some tangible materials which demonstrably disclose such consent.

JUDGMENT :

1. Heard learned counsel for the appellant and Sri Harindra Prasad, learned counsel for the sole respondent.

2. This first appeal has been filed by the appellant Smt. Poonam against the judgement and order dated 28.1.2017 passed by Family Court, Gorakhpur, by which Case No. 458 of 2014 (Rajiv Bariyani vs. Smt. Poonam) under Section 13-B of Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (hereinafter referred to as the "Act"), has been dismissed on the ground that the respondent Rajiv Bariyani has withdrawn his consent.

3. It is contended by learned counsel for the appellant that since the parties have been living separately for the past seven years and the respondent, after giving his consent to divorce by mutual consent, had withdrawn the same after two and a half years, the Family Judge was not at all legally justified in dismissing the Case No. 458 of 2014 (Rajiv Bariyani vs. Smt. Poonam).

4. Per contra, Sri Harindra Prasad, learned counsel for the sole respondent by placing reliance upon a judgement rendered by the Apex Court in Smt. Sureshta Devi vs. Om Prakash reported in 1991 2 SCC 25 submitted that consent can be withdrawn by one of the parties any time before the Court passes a decree of divorce by mutual consent.

5. We have heard learned counsel for the parties.

6. Since the facts of this case are not in dispute, with the consent of the learned counsel for the parties, we are deciding this appeal finally at the admission stage itself as per the High Court Rules.

7. In order to appreciate the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties, it would be useful to extract Section 13-B of the Act.

Section 13B in The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955

13B. Divorce by mutual consent

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act a petition for dissolution of marriage by a decree of divorce may be presented to the district court by both the parties to a marriage together, whether such marriage was solemnised before or after the commencement of the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Act, 1976 (68 of 1976)*, on the ground that they have been living separately for a period of one year or more, that they have not been able to live together and that they have mutually agreed that the marriage should be dissolved.

(2) On the motion of both the parties made not earlier than six months after the date of the presentation of the petition referred to in sub-section (1) and not later than eighteen months after the said date, if the petition is not withdrawn in the meantime, the court shall, on being satisfied, after hearing the parties and after making such inquiry as it thinks fit, that a marriage has been solemnised and that the averments in the petition are true, pass a decree of divorce declaring the marriage to be dissolved with effect from the date of the decree.]

8. Even the most superficial reading of sub-section (1) Section 13-B of the Act indicates that subject to the provisions of the Act, a petition for dissolution of marriage by a decree of divorce may be presented to the district court by both the parties to a marriage together, on the ground that they have been living separately for a period of one year or more, that they have not been able to live together and that they have mutually agreed that the marriage should be dissolved.

9. Sub-section (2) of Section 13-B of the Act further stipulates that on the motion of both the parties made not earlier than six months after the date of the presentation of the petition referred to in sub-section (1) and not later than 18 months after the said date and if the petition is not withdrawn in the meantime, the court shall, on being satisfied, after hearing the parties and after making such inquiry as it thinks fit, that a marriage has been solemnized and that the averments in the petition are true, pass a decree of divorce declaring the marriage to be dissolved with effect from the date of the decree.

10. There is nothing in Section 13-B of the Act which may indicate that the consent once given by either of the parties to a pe