The High Court Of Madhya Pradesh (SMT. RAKHI @ PARI RAJPAL Vs UMESH RAJPAL)

3

20-09-2021 Jabalpur, Dated :

Heard through Video Conferencing.

Miss Rashi Dua, counsel for the applicant.

Shri Nitesh K. Jain, counsel for the respondent.

Heard the learned counsel for the parties.

This is an application filed under Section 24 of the Code of Civil Procedure for transfer of matrimonial case registered as Regular Civil Suit HM No. 83/2020 pending before the Principal Judge Family Court, Sagar to Jabalpur.

As per the applicant/wife the marriage between her and the respondent was solemnized on 31.01.2016 as per the Hindu rites at District Sagar and after marriage she started living with the respondent at her in-laws house at Sagar. Initially they were living happily, but, those days of happiness did not continue for a long time and the relation between them had become bad to worse.

As per the wife, the respondent started misbehaving with her and used to make demand of dowry and for not fulfilling the said demand, he used to torture and harass the applicant mentally and physically. It is also submitted by the applicant/wife that out of the said wedlock, she has given birth to a child, but, the respondent and his family members have thrown out her alongwith child from their house. Thereafter, when she found no way left, she lodged an FIR against the respondent and his family members for the offences under Section 498-A of IPC and 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act at Police Station, Sihora. As the applicant/wife was being harassed and deserted by the respondent/husband and was also not having any source of income, she filed an application under Section 125 of Cr.P.C. before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Sihora, which was registered as MJC No. 108/2020, which is pending. The applicant also instituted an application under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act for restitution of conjugal right, which is also pending for adjudication before the II Additional District Judge, Sihora.

The respondent/husband has also filed a suit under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 seeking decree of divorce against the applicant. The said suit has been registered as Civil Suit HM No.

83/2020 and is pending before the Principal Judge, Family Court, Sagar.

Learned counsel for the applicant submits that Sagar is at a distance of more thann 200 Kms from Sihora and it is very difficult for the applicant to go to Sagar and attend hearing of the case on each and every date because she is a household lady and has no source of earning. She is fully dependent upon her parents and some how she is managing to survive alongwith her child. Therefore, it is claimed that considering the facts and circumstances of the case and the fact that when three cases are already pending at Sihora and respondent uses to come to attend hearing of those cases at Sihora, it would be better and in the interest of justice that the case pending at Sagar i.e. Civil Suit HM No. 83/2020 filed by the respondent be transferred to Sihora. In support of his contention, learned counsel has relied upon the judgments reported in 2004(4) MPLJ 310- Laxmi Vs. Jitendra Kumar and 2007(2) MPHT 344-Paramjeet Kaur vs. Dharam Pal Per contra, Shri Jain appearing for the respondent has opposed the submission made by the learned counsel for the applicant and submitted that the civil suit seeking decree of divorce under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act filed by the respondent is prior in time than the cases filed by the applicant and, therefore, it would not be in the interest of justice to transfer the case filed by the respondent/husband to Sihora from Sagar.

After considering the rival submission made by the learned counsel for the parties and the facts of the case, it is clear that three cases filed by the applicant/wife are already pending at Sihora. The applicant is a household lady and she has no proper source of earning. She has also a minor child and, therefore, it would be difficult for her to travel