Sudarsana Rao Gadde vs Karuna Gadde
- Neutral2018 INSC 180
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
A decree of divorce by mutual consent under Section 10A of the Indian Divorce Act, 1869 may be granted where the court, having interacted with the parties and found them to have taken a conscious decision without being influenced by extraneous factors, is satisfied that they have arrived at a settlement regarding custody, visitation, and other matrimonial disputes. Where parties to matrimonial litigation have arrived at a comprehensive settlement and prayed for divorce by mutual consent, all pending litigations between them shall be disposed of in terms of that settlement, and the parties shall be restrained from instituting any fresh case against each other in respect of any dispute arising out of the settlement without express permission from the court.
Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.
Judgment
As delivered
NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO(S). 2287/2018 (ARISING FROM SLP (C) NOS.17055 OF 2017)
SUDARSANA RAO GADDE APPELLANT(S)
VERSUS
KARUNA GADDE RESPONDENT(S)
J U D G M E N T
KURIAN, J.
Leave granted.
2. The appellant is before this Court, aggrieved by
the order dated 16.06.2017 passed in Civil Revision
No.1804/2017. The disputes are matrimonial in nature.
3. We had made several attempts for a peaceful and
amicable settlement of the disputes, through Mediators
and also by the Court itself. In this connection, we
may reproduce an order of this Court dated
01.08.2017:-
“The parties are before us on account of a prolonged litigation for the custody of their minor child Ayush.
The parties along with the grandparents are here for quite a few days. We painfully note that the child has not been attending the Signature Not Verified Digitally signed by school for the last one month. MAHABIR SINGH Date: 2018.02.24 13:50:14 IST Reason: Thanks to the intervention of Mr. P.S. Narasimha, learned Additional Solicitor General, thanks to the strenuous efforts of learned Senior counsel appearing for both sides, thanks to the cooperation extended by the parties and finally due to the steps taken by this Court, the parties have now arrived at a settlement.
The agreement dated 01.08.2017, duly signed by both the parties and their respective counsel has been handed over to us in the Court today.
The parties are present before us today. The parties are directed to act according to the terms of the settlement which shall also form part of this order.
We direct both parties not to institute any case or petition or any complaint against each other or the members of the family on both sides. They will not approach any forum with regard to any of the disputes between the parties or on the custody of the child or on visitation without the leave of this Court.
All litigations pending between the parties shall remain stayed until further orders.
We direct the petitioner Sudarsana Rao Gadde to hand over the child at the residence of Karuna Gadde-respondent before 1 p.m. on
02.08.2017. In case the presence of both the parents is required in the school, they shall communicate with each other and both of them shall be present in the school.
Post this matter on 20.02.2018.”
4. Today, the parties are personally present before
us along with their child-Aayush. In Clause 2 (vi)
of the Settlement, the parties have agreed on
visitation and custody rights. In view of the long
litigations between the parties they have prayed for
a decree of divorce by mutual consent. Having
interacted with the parties, we find that they have
taken a conscious decision without being influenced
by any other extraneous factors. Accordingly, the
marriage between the appellant/Sudarsana Rao Gadde
and respondent/Karuna Gadde is dissolved by a decree
of divorce by mutual consent under Section 10A of the
Indian Divorce Act, 1869. The Settlement dated
01.08.2017 arrived at between the parties is already
on record and the same shall form part of this
judgment.
5. We direct the parties to strictly abide by the
terms of Settlement.
6. Now that the parties have settled their disputes,
we do not think it necessary to relegate them to the
respective Courts where other litigations are pending
between them as they have agreed to put an end to all
the litigations. Accordingly, G.W.O.P. No. 2222 of
2016 on the file of the Family Court at Rangareddy
District, Miyapur, Hyderabad will stand disposed of
in terms of the Settlement dated 01.08.2017. O.P.
No.2223/2016 pending before the Family Court at Rangareddy District, Miyapore Hyderabad is decreed as
per the abovementioned Settlement.
7. In terms of the Settlement, we restrain the
parties from instituting any fresh case against each
other in respect of any dispute arising out of the
Settlement dated 01.08.2017, without express
permission from this Court.
8. The appeal is, accordingly, disposed of.
9. Pending applications, if any, shall stand disposed of.
10. There shall be no orders as to costs.
..........................J. [KURIAN JOSEPH]
..........................J. [MOHAN M. SHANTANAGOUDAR] NEW DELHI;
FEBRUARY 20, 2018.
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