65 day Marriage, 13 years of Litigation: SC invokes Article 142 to end decade long Matrimonial war

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court dissolved a marriage that survived just 65 days, bringing closure to a bitter matrimonial dispute that stretched over 13 years and spawned more than 40 cases across multiple courts, holding that the relationship had collapsed beyond repair and continuing it would only prolong judicial abuse.

The couple married in January 2012, but the relationship unravelled within weeks, with the wife leaving the matrimonial home, alleging cruelty. What followed was not reconciliation but a decade-long spiral of criminal and civil litigation in courts across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Seeking an end to the stalemate, the wife approached the apex court, invoking its extraordinary powers to dissolve the marriage and close all related proceedings, without seeking alimony. The husband, appearing in person, opposed the move, accusing the wife of falsehoods and insisting on the continuation of the marriage, even as multiple cases between the parties remained pending.

Invoking Article 142 of the Constitution, the Bench of Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Manmohan held that consent loses relevance when a marriage has plainly disintegrated. Noting the entrenched hostility between the parties, the court observed, “They may not have been made for each other… It may be impossible now to put the clock back and live together after forgetting the bitterness.” Warning against turning courts into arenas for personal vendettas, the Bench dissolved the marriage, ordered closure of all pending cases arising from the dispute (except perjury-related pleas), restrained further litigation between the parties, and imposed costs of Rs. 10,000 each for prolonging the conflict.

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