Supreme Court Invokes Article 142 to Quash Over 30 Cases in Matrimonial Dispute, Orders Public Apology from IPS Officer Wife - 2025-08-18

Supreme Court Ends “Protracted Legal Battle,” Quashes Over 30 Cases in Bitter Matrimonial Dispute

New Delhi: In an extraordinary move to deliver "complete justice," the Supreme Court, invoking its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, has quashed more than 30 civil and criminal cases stemming from a bitter matrimonial dispute between an IPS officer and her husband. The bench, led by Justice Augustine George Masih, dissolved the marriage and enforced a comprehensive settlement that includes the wife tendering a public apology in national newspapers and on social media.

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A Web of Litigation

The case involves Shivangi Bansal (also known as Shivangi Goel), the wife, and Sahib Bansal, the husband, who married in 2015 and separated in 2018. The marital discord escalated into a multi-jurisdictional legal war, with cases filed in courts across Hapur (Uttar Pradesh) and Delhi.

The litigation spanned a wide array of serious allegations. The wife and her family had initiated proceedings under IPC sections including 498A (dowry harassment), 307 (attempt to murder), 376 (rape), and 377 (unnatural offences), alongside cases under the Domestic Violence Act and for maintenance.

In retaliation, the husband and his family filed cases for defamation, kidnapping, and assault, and even challenged the wife's IPS candidature in the Delhi High Court. The judgment noted that the husband and his father had spent 109 and 103 days in jail, respectively, due to the allegations.

Supreme Court Intervenes for "Complete Justice"

Faced with a tangled web of transfer petitions and special leave petitions from both sides, the Supreme Court facilitated a comprehensive settlement to bring an end to the "protracted legal battle." The Court noted that both parties wished to amicably resolve all disputes to "avoid any future litigation and maintain peace."

Exercising its unique jurisdiction under Article 142, which empowers it to pass any decree or order necessary for doing complete justice, the Court implemented a wide-ranging settlement.

Key Terms of the Settlement

The court-ordered settlement addresses custody, finances, property, and personal conduct, imposing significant obligations on both parties:

• Custody and Visitation: The wife will retain full custody of their eight-year-old daughter. The husband and his family are granted supervised visitation rights, with the potential for more access based on the child's comfort.
• No Alimony or Maintenance: The wife has voluntarily waived her right to any alimony for herself and maintenance for the child. Consequently, a previous High Court order granting Rs. 1,50,000 per month for child maintenance was quashed.
• Public Apology: In a significant and unusual directive, the Court ordered the wife, Shivangi Bansal, to publish a pre-drafted, unconditional apology to the husband and his family in one national English and one Hindi newspaper, as well as on all social media platforms. The judgment stated the apology was for the "physical and mental trauma and harassment" they suffered, which "cannot be resituated or compensated in any manner." The apology is to be published within three days of the order.
• Property Transfer: The wife’s mother is directed to transfer a specified parcel of land in Aligarh, UP, to the husband as a gift deed.
• Quashing of All Proceedings: All 30+ pending civil and criminal litigations filed by both parties and their families, including those by third parties related to the dispute, are quashed.
• Future Conduct: Both parties are strictly barred from filing any future litigation against each other, interfering in personal or professional lives, or making disparaging remarks online. All existing negative social media content must be deleted. A breach of these terms will be treated as contempt of the Supreme Court.
• Protection and Expungement: The Court ordered police protection for the husband and his family and expunged adverse remarks made against the wife in a previous Allahabad High Court order.

Final Decree and Implications

With the settlement terms in place, the Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of the marriage between Shivangi Bansal and Sahib Bansal. The judgment stands as a powerful example of the Court's use of Article 142 to cut through complex, multi-faceted litigation and impose a resolution aimed at securing lasting peace between warring families, even where serious, non-compoundable criminal allegations are involved.