Manjumol Varghese vs Binu Andrews

C.S.Dias, J

As these transfer petitions are between the same parties, they have been disposed of by this common order.

Tr.P.(C)No.42/2023 is filed by the wife against the husband to transfer O.P Nos.142/2021 and 292/2022 (Annexures-A & B) from the Family Court, Muvattupuzha to the Family Court, Ettumanoor. Tr.P.(C) No. 654/2022 is filed by the husband against the wife to transfer O.P.No.1374/2022 from the Family Court, Ettumanur to the Family Court, Muvattupuzha. For the sake of convenience, the parties are referred to, as per the status in Tr.P.(C) No. 42/2023 which is treated as the leading case.

The case of the petitioner, in brief, in Tr.P (C) No.42 of 2023 is that, she is the wife of the respondent. The marital relationship is strained. She has filed O.P.No. 1374/2022 before the Family Court, Ettumanoor against the respondent seeking a decree for recovery of money and for other ancillary reliefs. She has also filed M.C. No.74/2021 before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Changanassery, against the respondent invoking the provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. The respondent is contesting the above two proceedings before the two courts in Kottayam. As a counter-blast to the above proceedings, the respondent has filed O.P.Nos.142/2021 and 292/2022 before the Family Court,Muvattupuzha. It would cause severe inconvenience to the wife to travel all the way from Changassery to Muvttupuzha, to contest the above two proceedings. Hence, the cases may be transferred to the Family Court, Ettumanoor, so that the two cases can be jointly tried with O.P. No.1374/2022.

The respondent-husband has filed Tr.P. (C)No.654/2022, inter alia, contending that since he has already filed two cases before the Family Court, Muvattupuzha, it would be convenient that O.P.No.1374/2022 is transferred from the Family Court, Ettumanoor to the Family Court, Muvattupuzha.

Heard; Sri.M.M.Laiju Nissa, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner-wife and Sri.Biju Abrham, the learned counsel appearing for the respondent- husband.

The law with respect to transfer of proceedings, particularly matrimonial disputes, is no longer res-integra, in view of the categoric declaration of law by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Sumitha Sing V. Kumar Sanjay and another [2002 KHC 1889], Mona Aresh Goel V. Aresh Satya Goel [2000 KHC 1835], Vaishali Shridhar Jagtap V. Shridhar Vishwanath Jagtap [2016 KHC 6489], Santhini V. Vijaya Venkatesh [2017 (5) KHC 48] and N.C.V Aishwarya vs. A.S Saravana Karthik Sha [2022 (5) KHC 182]. The Hon’ble Supreme Court has held that it is the convenience of the woman and children that has to be looked into, while ordering the transfer of a case from one Court to another.

In the light of the law laid down in the afore-cited decisions, the pleadings and materials on record, the totality of the facts and circumstances of the case, particularly the fact that the petitioner is a young lady and she has already instituted O.P.No.1374/2022 and MC 74/2021 before the two courts in Kottayam District and the respondent is contesting both the proceedings before the said courts, I am inclined to exercise the discretionary powers of this Court under Section 24 of the Code of Civil Procedure and order the transfer of O.P. Nos.142/2021 and 292/2022 from the Family Court, Muvattupuzha to the Family Court, Ettumannoor, so that all the cases between the parties can be consolidated and jointly tried, which would save precious judicial time and avoid conflict of decisions.

Resultantly, I dispose of the transfer petitions in the following manner::

(i) Tr.P.(C) No.654/2022 is dismissed.

(ii) Tr.P. (C ) No.42/2023 is allowed by ordering the withdrawal and transfer of O.P. Nos.142/2021 and 292/2022 from the Family Court, Muvattupuzha to the Family Court, Ettumanoor.

(ii) The parties would be at liberty to move the Family Court, Ettumanoor and seek for the consolidation and joint trial of all the cases between them.

(iii) The Registry shall forward a copy of this common order to the Family Court, Muvattupuzha, with instructions to forthwith transmit the records in O.P. Nos.142/2021 and 292/2022 to the Family Court, Ettumanoor.

(iv)  The  Family  Court,  Ettumanoor, shall, immediately   on   receipt  of  the  records in  O.P. Nos.142/2021 and 292/2022, post the cases along O.P. No.1374/2022.