A decade, over 60 cases later, SC grants divorce to end matrimonial dispute

The Supreme Court has brought an end toa decade-long matrimonial dispute that spiralled into over 60 cases across the country, facilitating a comprehensive settlement between an estranged couple and granting them divorce, ending one of the most litigation-heavy marital disputes to have reached the top court.

- Utkarsh Anand

A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan invoked Article 142 of the Constitution to give a “quietus” to the litigation between the couple, noting that the parties had voluntarily arrived ata settlement covering all disputes arising out of their marriage, which was solemnised in 1994.

The case had reached the top courtin the form of contempt proceedings, but over the course of hearings in January and February this year, the bench actively engaged with both sides to explore the possibility of a resolution. What followed was a structured, court-facilitated negotiation process that ultimately culminated ina joint application seeking dissolution of marriage on mutually agreed terms.

Recording the presence of both parties in court, the bench underscored in its order released on Thursday that the settlement had been arrived at “on their own free volition without there being any coercion or undue influence”. The court then proceeded to examine the terms of the agreement and found “no legal impediment” in accepting them.