JUDGMENT :

(Per Arindam Sinha, J.)

1. Mr. Saurabh Sachan, learned advocate appears on behalf applicant- appellant and presses for admission of the appeal on condonation of reported delay of 654 days. Mr. Ajai Kumar Srivastava, learned advocate appears for respondent.

2. Applicant-appellant was wife in the marriage declared void by judgment dated 18th August, 2023 of the Family Court. Mr. Sachan presses for admission on submission that respondent took ground under section 12(1)(c) in Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. Sub-clause (ii) under clause (a) in sub-section (2) of section 12 bars respondent from having taken the ground since he, subsequent to filing of the petition, cohabitated with his client and there was a baby from the union.

3. The application for condonation of delay was moved on 18th February, 2026. Paragraph 3 from our order made that day is reproduced below.

"3. There is an element of necessity to hear merits of applicant's case, even for answering the question on condonation of delay. As such list the

application and appeal on 12th March, 2026 marked at 02:00 pm."

4. Mr. Sachan relies on several judgments. Firstly, view taken by a DivisionBench of Calcutta High Court on judgment d