Deepa Sahu vs Harshvardhan

The appeal being D.B. Civil Miscellaneous Appeal No.6140/2016 on behalf of the appellant-wife Smt. Deepa Sahu has been filed under Section 19 of the Family Court Act, 1984, challenging the judgment and decree dated 26.09.2016 passed by the learned Judge, Family Court No.3, Kota, whereby the petition filed by the appellant-wife under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, has been dismissed.

The appeal being D.B. Civil Miscellaneous Appeal No.569/2017 on behalf of the appellant-wife Smt. Deepa Sahu has been filed under Section 19 of the Family Court Act, challenging the judgment and decree dated 08.12.2016 passed by the learned Judge, Family Court, Tonk in Case No.118/2016 (registered 246/2013, 43/2011 (District Court), whereby the application filed by the respondent-husband under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act for restitution of conjugal rights has been allowed.

This matter has come up on the board for orders on the joint application filed by both the parties bearing inward no.85676/02.11.2018. In the application it is mentioned that during the pendency of the appeals, the appellant-wife filed a criminal revision being S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No.1328/2017 before this court and the learned Single Judge sent the matter to the Mediation Center attached to this court. Both the parties appeared before the Mediation Center on 16.08.2018, where they expressed their willingness to compromise the matter by mutual consent. Pursuant thereto, both the parties have compromised the matter. A certified copy of the compromise dated 16.08.2018 entered into between the parties, which was reduced in writing in the proceedings dated 16.08.2018 of the Mediation Center attached to this court, has been placed on the record along-with the application as Annexure-1.

"1. दोनों पक्षकारान में यह सहमति बनी है कि दोनों पक्ष अपनी-अपनी अपील व रीविजन माननीय उच्च न्यायालय के समक्ष प्रार्थना करते हुए वापस कर लेगें तथा श्रीमती दीपा साहू द्वारा प्रस्तुत की गई तलाक याचिका की अपील में आपसी सहमति से विवाह विच्छेद का प्रार्थना-पत्र पेश कर निस्तारित करवा

दोनों पक्षकारान में यह भी सहमति बनी है कि श्रीमती दीपा साहू धारा 125 दण्ड प्रक्रिया संहिता के तहत पारित आदेश के अनुसार वसूली योग्य समस्त राशि माफ कर देगी वे एक भी रूपया श्री हर्षवर्धन से प्राप्त करने के लिए किसी न्यायालय में कोई प्रार्थना-पत्र पेश नहीं करेगी तथा भविष्य में धारा 125(3) दण्ड प्रक्रिया संहिता के तहत भी किसी भी न्यायालय में प्रार्थना-पत्र पेश नहीं करेगी।

दोनों पक्षकारान में यह भी सहमति बनी है कि पति श्री हर्षवर्धन द्वारा पेश किये गये प्रार्थना-पत्र अन्तर्गत धारा 127 दण्ड प्रक्रिया संहिता इस राजीनामा के प्रकाश में निस्तारित करवाने में एक-दूसरे को सहयोग प्रदान करेगें तथा भविष्य में श्रीमती दीपा साहू किसी प्रकार के स्थायी भरण-पोषण की माँग नहीं करेगी।

दोनों पक्षकारान में यह भी सहमति बनी है कि श्रीमती दीपा साहू की पुत्री खुशी जो कि वर्तमान में श्री हर्षवर्धन के साथ निवास कर रही है, श्रीमती दीपा साहू उसकी अभिरक्षा के सम्बन्ध में कोई विवाद नहीं करेंगी तथा भविष्य में भी पुत्री खुशी अपने पिता के साथ ही रहती रहेगी तथा उसके शादी ब्याह की समस्त जिम्मेदारी भी उसके पिता की ही होगी। पुत्री खुशी अपनी माँ से कोई क्लमे नहीं कर सकेगी।

अतः दोनों पक्षकों द्वारा उक्त समझौता पूर्ण होश हवाश में बिना किसी दबाव के स्वेच्छापूर्वक इस मध्यस्थता केन्द्र में मुझ मध्यस्थ के समक्ष हस्ताक्षरित ककिया गया है। अतः पक्षकारों से अपेक्षा की जाती है कि नियमानुसार उक्त समझौता की पालना करते हुये दीवानी/ फौजदारी व अन्य प्रकरण को समाप्त करेगें । अतः दोनों पक्षकारों की सहमति से यह समझौता पत्र हस्ताक्षरित किया जा रहा है जो शामिल पत्रावली हो।"

The compromise has been signed by both the parties, their respective counsels as also the learned Mediator on 16.08.2018. In the application, the prayer is made by both the parties for converting the application of Section 13 (1A) into 13(B) of the Hindu Marriage Act and to pass a decree of divorce by mutual consent keeping in view the fact that their marriage has reached the stage of irretrievable broken down.

Both the parties submitted that even a petition under Section 13 of the Act, on joint request of the parties, can be converted into one under Section 13-B of the Act for grant of decree of divorce by mutual consent. In support of this submission, learned counsel relied on the judgments of the Supreme Court in Veena Vs. State Govt. of NCT, Delhi & Anr., (2011) 14 SCC 614, Devinder Singh Narula Vs. Meenakshi Nangia - (2012) 8 SCC 580, and Amardeep Singh Vs. Harveen Kaur - (2017) 8 SCC 746. In Amardeep Singh, supra, the Supreme Court laid down that since the cooling off period mentioned in Section 13 B(2) is not mandatory but directory, it will be open to the court to exercise its discretion in the facts and circumstances of each case where there is no possibility of parties resuming cohabitation and there are chances of alternative rehabilitation.

In view of the compromise arrived at between the parties, we are persuaded to allow the appeals. The appeals are accordingly allowed. The judgment and order dated 26.09.2016 of the Family Court No.3, Kota in Case No.12/2016 (impugned in CMA No.6140/2016) and judgment and order dated 08.12.2016 of the Family Court, Tonk in Case No.118/2016 (re-registered) {246/2013, 43/2011 (District Court)} are set side. The marriage between appellant-wife and respondent-husband is therefore dissolved by mutual consent with immediate effect in terms of the compromise quoted above. Decree of divorce be prepared accordingly.

This also disposes of the stay application as also the application bearing inward no.85676 dated 02.11.2018.

A copy of this order be placed in the connected file.