Veronica @ Latha vs V.Philip James
- SCC(2009) 12 SCC 299
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
Where a divorce petition is filed at a forum where neither party resides at the time of the application for transfer, and both parties are gainfully employed elsewhere, the court may exercise its power to transfer the case to a family court at a location where the parties have a closer connection, such as the place where they last resided together during the marriage, to promote judicial efficiency and the convenience of the parties.
Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.
Judgment
As delivered
1. Although the husband has entered appearance through his counsel in this petition for transfer but on behalf of the respondent, no counter affidavit has been filed.
2. This is an application for transfer of the Divorce Petition No. 793 of 2007 (V. Philip James Vs.
Veronica @Latha) from the Family Court at Allappuzha, Kerala to the Family Court at Bangalore.
2 3. Having heard the learned counsel for the parties and after going through the transfer petition and considering the admitted fact that both the parties to this petition for transfer are not residing at the place of trial i.e. at Allappuzha and both of them are now stated to be gainfully employed at Bangalore and Chennai respectively and we are informed by the learned counsel for the husband that at present, the husband is now staying in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and further considering the fact that during the subsistence of marriage between the parties, they last resided together at Bangalore, we are of the view that the Divorce Petition being No. 793 of 2007 be transferred from the Family Court at Allappuzha to the Family Court at Bangalore.
4. Accordingly, we dispose of this application by passing the aforesaid order of transfer and direct the Family Court at Allappuzha to transmit the records of this case to the Family Court at 3 Bangalore within a period of two months from the date of supply of a copy of this order to it positively. The Family Court at Bangalore thereafter shall decide the petition within one year from the date of receiving the records of the present case.
5. The application for transfer is thus disposed of.
There will be no order as to costs.
...........................
...J.
[TARUN CHATTERJEE]
NEW DELHI; ..............................J.
APRIL 28, 2009. [H. L. DATTU]
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