Paramjit Kaur v. Jagdeep Singh

-1IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH TA-1045-2021 (O&M) Date of decision: 29.09.2022 Paramjit Kaur ....Petitioner Vs.

Jagdeep Singh ....Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ARVIND SINGH SANGWAN

Present:

Mr. Hitesh Verma, Advocate for the petitioner.

None for the respondent.

******* ARVIND SINGH SANGWAN, J. (Oral) Prayer in this petition is for transfer of the petition filed by the respondent-husband under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, pending before the Family Court, Ludhiana to the competent Court of jurisdiction at Barnala.

Since proceedings before the trial Court were stayed vide order dated 28.10.2021, it is a deemed service upon the respondent. While issuing notice of motion, following order was passed by this Court on 28.10.2021: - "The marriage of the petitioner with the respondent was solemnized on 07.03.2010. Three daughters were born from the

-2wedlock, who are aged about, 5,7 and 10 years. It is the case of the petitioner that ever since the marriage of the petitioner she has been harassed and tortured by the respondent and his family members. She was thrown out from the matrimonial home on 26.08.2019. Since then she alongwith her minor daughter are residing with her parents at Barnala. The respondent has not supported the petitioner as well as three minor children.

The petitioner has filed a petition under Section 125 Cr.P.C., seeking maintenance, which is pending before the Court of Principal Judge, Family Court, Barnala. The respondent has already put in appearance in the said case. It is stated that in order to harass the petitioner, the respondent-husband has filed the petition under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, titled as Jagdeep Singh Vs. Paramjit Kaur, which is pending in the Court of Principal Judge, Family Court, Ludhiana. It is difficult for the petitioner to travel from Barnala to Ludhiana to attend the Court proceedings as the distance is more than 70 kms and to take care of the three minor daughters. The petitioner has no independent source of income, she and her children are fully dependent on her parents."

Learned counsel has relied upon the judgments Sumita Singh

-3Vs. Kumar Sanjay, 2002 SC 396 and Rajani Kishor Pardeshi Vs. Kishor Babulal Pardeshi, 2005(12) SCC 237, wherein the Hon'ble Supreme Court 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."

Learned counsel has further relied upon N.C.V. Aishwarya Vs. A.S. Saravana Karthik Sha, 2022 Live Law (SC) 627, wherein the Hon'ble Supreme Court held as under: - "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.

Further, when two or more proceedings are pending in different Courts between the same parties which raise common

-4question 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." It is well settled that while considering the transfer of a matrimonial dispute/case at the instance of the wife, the Court is to consider family condition of the wife, custody of the minor child, economic condition of the wife, her physical health and earning capacity of the husband and most important, 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.

After hearing the counsel for the petitioner, considering the fact that the petitioner-wife will have to bear the litigation expenses and transportation expenses and in view of the judgments in 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 deem it appropriate to allow the present petition, subject to the following conditions:-

1. The petition filed under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, pending before the Family Court, Ludhiana will be transferred to the competent Court of jurisdiction at Barnala.

2. The District Judge, Barnala will assign the said petition to the competent Court of jurisdiction.

3. The Family Court, Ludhiana is directed to transfer all the

-5record pertaining to the aforesaid case to District Judge, Barnala.

4. The parties are directed to appear before the Family Court, Barnala within a period of 01 month from today.

5. The Family Court, Barnala will make all the endeavour to refer the case before the Mediation and Conciliation Centre for exploring the possibility of amicable settlement between the parties.

6. The Court concerned, where the litigations between the parties are pending, will accommodate them with one date in one calender month.

Present petition is disposed of accordingly.

[ ARVIND SINGH SANGWAN ] JUDGE 29.09.2022 vishnu Whether speaking/reasoned :

Yes/No Whether reportable:

Yes/No