Woman can get divorce even if hubby abroad
In a crucial ruling which is sure to cheer up women fighting divorce cases with husbands residing in a foreign country, the Madras HC has said the family court in India had jurisdiction to try matrimonial litigation even if the husband is a citizen of a foreign country and not an ordinary resident of India. If they are a citizen of a foreign country they may need to go for a law firm that is where they are from to help them fight this case, just in case it is not done amicably. For example, if they are a resident of Britain they may contact a bradford law firm to go over with them their legal rights.
Woman can get divorce even if hubby abroad #India Click To Tweet
A division bench comprising Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice KK Sasidharan pointed out that the amended Section 19 of the Hindu Marriages Act extended to outside India. “The fact that the husband is residing outside the territory does not prevent the wife from applying before the local designated court to redress her grievances,” the bench said.
The judges were passing orders on a case involving film actor R Sukanya and her husband R Sridharan, who is an American citizen. The two got married in April 2002 as per Hindu rites and customs at Balaji temple in New Jersey in the US. After nearly a year she returned to India, started to act in films, and also filed a divorce petition in 2004. As her husband did not attend the proceedings, the family court granted her divorce ex parte.
On representation from her husband Sridharan, later the family court reversed its order. He also filed a petition in the HC to restrain the family court from hearing the case on the ground that the court in India had no jurisdiction to take up the matter involving American citizens.
Dismissing his claims, the judges said that when the marriage was solemnised under the Hindu law, the proceedings for divorce also has to be made under the same Act. Referring to the amended Section 19 of the Act, the judges said with effect from December 23, 2003, the wife is now entitled to file a matrimonial petition before a district court in whose territorial jurisdiction she is residing.