Calcutta High Court: Ananda Kumar Mukherjee, J. took cognizance of a petition which was preferred by the petitioner -wife praying for transfer of Matrimonial Suit pending before the Additional District Judge, Fast Track Court, Coochbehar to any other Court of Additional District Judge at Siliguri, allowing the transfer.
Petitioner’s marriage with the respondent was solemnized on 11-03-2020 and they stayed together as husband and wife in the house of the respondent at Coochbehar for 15 days. The respondent filed the Matrimonial suit under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 against the petitioner praying for a decree of divorce as a counter blast of the F.I.R. lodged by her. The petitioner contended that she is residing with her mother at Siliguri and has no earning of her own. On the contrary, the husband is employed. She further contended that the relationship between the wife and her husband is strained, and she feels insecure to travel to Coochbehar Court for the purpose of taking part in the proceedings.
Counsel for the respondent submitted that he is a contractual worker, having work for 26 days with a marginal monthly income and is also suffering from Cardiac ailments which requires immediate surgery. He further argued that the petitioner had voluntarily left the matrimonial home within 15 days of the marriage and the present suit for divorce has been filed on the ground of cruelty. Regarding transfer of the case, it was contended that there is conveyance facility to conveniently travel to Coochbehar and the petitioner has no cogent ground for preferring this revisional application and the same is liable to be dismissed.
The Court heard the parties and agreed that travelling at odd hours of the day is a physical hardship for the petitioner and by filing a suit for divorce directly without any attempt to restore the marital relationship, the petitioner-wife cannot be put to such inconvenience. The Court drew its support from the judgment relied on by the counsel of the petitioner in Madhu Saxena v. Pankaj Saxena, (2005) 13 SCC 158 where the principle of “showing leniency towards the wife” was followed.
The Court allowed the petition and opined that it would be appropriate to transfer the Matrimonial Suit from the Court of Additional District Judge, F.T.C., Coochbehar to the Court of District Judge, Darjeeling.
[Sandipa Gupta v. Suraj Gupta, 2022 SCC OnLine Cal 2027, decided on 14-07-2022]
Advocates who appeared in this case :
Mr Sanjay Mazoomdar, Ms Sukanya Adhikary, Advocates, for the Petitioner;
Mr Subhasish Mishra, Mr Swarup Das, Advocates, for the Respondent.
*Suchita Shukla, Editorial Assistant has reported this brief.
