Allowed

Ravinder Kaur v. Gurpreet Singh

Punjab & Haryana HC10 Mar 2023TA/299/2023

Case brief

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What is this about?

Petitioner-wife moved for transfer of her husband's Section 9 HMA petition from Batala to Amritsar. Relying on Supreme Court precedents prioritizing female convenience, theHigh Court allowed transfer to Family Court, Ajnala, Amritsar, and granted liberty to contest subject to payment of costs.

What did the court decide?

Transfer of petition HMA/195/2021 from Batala to Family Court, Ajnala, Amritsar; record transferred; conditional liberty to respondent to contest upon payment of costs/maintenance.

Ravinder Kaur Vs Gurpreet Singh — Matrimonial and Divorce | Punjab & Haryana HC (2023)

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2023:PHHC:037651

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T.A.No.299 of 2023 (O&M)

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

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102 TA No.299 of 2023 (O&M) Date of decision: 10.03.2023

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Ravinder Kaur ...Petitioner

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Gurpreet Singh ...Respondent

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CORAM: HON’BLE MS. JUSTICE NIDHI GUPTA

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Present:- Mr. Vikas Cuccria, Advocate for the petitioner.

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NIDHI GUPTA, J.(Oral)

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Prayer in this petition filed by petitioner is for transfer of petition bearing No.HMA/195/2021 filed by respondent-husband under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, titled ‘Gurpreet Singh vs. Ravinder Kaur’ pending in the Court of Additional Principal Judge, Family Court, Gurdaspur (Camp Court Batala), to a court of competent jurisdiction at Amritsar (Family Court, Ajnala).

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Learned counsel for the petitioner, inter alia, submits:

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i) that the parties solemnized marriage in the year 2016.

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ii) that one son was born out of the wedlock on 27.11.2019. iii) that the petitioner along with minor son is living in her parental home at Amritsar since January, 2021.

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iv) that the respondent has also filed a petition for custody of minor son at Batala.

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v) that the distance between the place of residence and place of proceedings is 50 kms (one side).

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I have heard learned counsel for the petitioner.

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The legal position in such like cases as the present one, is well

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established. In this regard, judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court

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ASHOK KUMAR 2023.03.15 17:07 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

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2023:PHHC:037651 2

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T.A.No.299 of 2023 (O&M)

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rendered in N.C.V. Aishwarya vs A.S. Saravana Karthik Sha,” 2022 Live Law (SC) 627 , is most relevant wherein the Hon’ble Supreme Court has held as under:-

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“9. The cardinal principle for exercise of power under section 24 of the Code of Civil Procedure is that the ends of justice should demand the transfer of the suit, appeal or other proceeding. In matrimonial matters, wherever Courts are called upon to consider the plea of transfer, the Courts have to take into consideration the economic soundness of both the parties, the social strata of the spouses and their behavioural pattern, their standard of life prior to the marriage and subsequent thereto and the circumstances of both the parties in eking out their livelihood and under whose protective umbrella they are seeking their sustenance to life. Given the prevailing socioeconomic paradigm in the Indian society, generally, it is the wife's convenience which must be looked at while considering transfer.

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Further, when two or more proceedings are pending in different Courts between the same parties which raise common question of fact and law, and when the decisions in the cases are interdependent, it is desirable that they should be tried together by the same Judge so as to avoid multiplicity in trial of the same issues and conflict of decisions.”

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Further reliance can be placed upon the judgments in “Sumita

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Singh vs Kumar Sanjay”, 2002 SC 396 and “Rajani Kishor Pardeshivs Kishor Babulal Pardeshi”, 2005(12) SCC 237 , wherein the Hon’ble Supreme Court has observed that “while deciding the transfer application, the Courts are required to give more weightage and consideration to the convenience of the female litigants and transfer of legal proceedings from one Court to another should ordinarily be allowed, taking into consideration their convenience and the Courts should desist from putting female litigants under undue hardships.”

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Even this Court in number of cases has followed the aforesaid

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ASHOK KUMAR principle of law. Accordingly, it is well settled that while considering the 2023.03.15 17:07 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

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2023:PHHC:037651

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T.A.No.299 of 2023 (O&M)

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transfer of a matrimonial dispute/case, at the instance of the wife, the Court is to consider the family condition of the wife, the custody of the minor child, economic condition of the wife, her physical health and earning capacity of the husband and most important the convenience of the wife i.e. she cannot travel alone without assistance of a male member of her family, connectivity of the place to and fro from her place of residence as well as bearing of the litigation charges and travelling expenses.

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After going through the entire paperbook, considering the fact that issuance of notice to the respondent has the consequences of staying further proceedings before the trial Court, otherwise the petitioner-wife will have to bear the litigation expenses and transportation expenses and in case, notice of motion is issued, even the respondent-husband has to bear the litigation expenses and in view of the judgments i.e. Sumita Singh’s case (supra), Rajani Kishor Pardeshi’s case (supra) and N.C.V. Aishwarya’s case (supra) passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, this Court deems it appropriate to allow the present petition, subject to the following conditions:-

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a) The petition bearing No.HMA/195/2021 filed by respondent-husband under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, titled ‘Gurpreet Singh vs. Ravinder Kaur’ pending in the Court of Additional Principal Judge, Family Court, Gurdaspur (Camp Court Batala), is transferred to a court of competent jurisdiction at Amritsar (Family Court, Ajnala).

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ASHOK KUMAR 2023.03.15 17:07 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

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2023:PHHC:037651

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T.A.No.299 of 2023 (O&M)

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b) The ld. District Judge, Gurdaspur is directed to transfer complete record pertaining to the aforesaid case to District Judge, Amritsar.

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c) The parties are directed to appear before the District

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& Sessions Judge, Amritsar on 10.04.2023.

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d) The District Judge, Amritsar will assign the said petition to the Court of competent jurisdiction at Family Court, Ajnala.

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The concerned Court at Amritsar will make all endeavour to refer the case before the Mediation and Conciliation Centre for exploring the possibility of some amicable settlement between the parties.

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The Court concerned, where the litigation pending between the parties, will accommodate them with one date in one calendar month.

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However, liberty is granted to the respondent to revive this petition, if he intends to contest the same, provided that:-

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(a) The respondent will clear all arrears of maintenance amount, if any, in terms of any petition filed by the petitioner either under Section 125 Cr.P.C. or Section 12 of the Domestic Violence Act or Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act.

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(b) The respondent will file an affidavit giving undertaking to pay Rs.1,000/- per day, to petitioner for attending the Court proceedings at Gurdaspur on each and every date of hearing.

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(c) The respondent will bring a demand draft of Rs.25,000/-, drawn in favour of petitioner, towards the litigation expenses to pursue the case at Courts,

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ASHOK KUMAR 2023.03.15 17:07 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

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2023:PHHC:037651

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T.A.No.299 of 2023 (O&M)

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Gurdaspur, in case the respondent opts to contest this petition.

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I am supported in the above by decisions rendered by a Coordinate Bench of this Court in TA No. 1315/2022, Rohini Arora v Nitin Talwar; TA No. 1322 of 2022, Jaswinder Kaur v Gurvinderjeet Singh ; and TA No. 1323 of 2022, Usha Rani v Karmajit Singh.

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As already noticed above, since the petition is being disposed of without issuing notice to the respondent, accordingly, in these peculiar circumstances, in order to ensure appearance of the parties before the District Judge, Amritsar on 10.04.2023, it is directed that a copy of this order be sent to the respondent(s) through registered post, besides sending a copy of this order to the District Judges concerned through e- mail. Petitioner through her counsel, present in the Court, is directed to ensure her appearance accordingly.

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Disposed of.

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10.03.2023	(Nidhi Gupta)
ashok	Judge
Whether speaking/reasoned: Yes/No
Whether reportable: Yes/No

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ASHOK KUMAR 2023.03.15 17:07 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

Ravinder Kaur v. Gurpreet Singh

Case brief

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Ravinder Kaur v. Gurpreet Singh

Case brief

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