Family Court grants Divorce to couple after taking Wife’s consent via 'WhatsApp video call'

January 16, 2019:

On Tuesday, a family court in Nagpur granted divorce to a couple after recording the wife’s consent via a WhatsApp video call.

She had expressed her inability to attend the hearing as she was studying in Michigan, United States of America, on a student visa, and wasn’t permitted to seek long leave.

Even the husband, a resident of Khamla, works at the same place, but was in the city when the divorce was officially granted on mutual consent.

The case was listed before Judge Swati Chauhan, who, after seeking consent from both sides, allowed separation on the condition that the husband would pay permanent alimony of ₹10 lakh to the wife.

It was on her directives that the court counselor conducted the wife’s counselling via WhatsApp video call The couple had an arranged marriage on August 11, 2013, at Secunderabad, as the wife is from Telangana.

Both engineers secured jobs in a US-based automobile giant. Differences cropped up after the wife stayed with the in-laws in Nagpur for some time after her visa expired.

She then went back to Michigan for her studies. In the meanwhile, the husband filed a divorce case with the family court.

After the court referred their case to the counselor as per practice, no hearing took place for some time, as both parties were outside the country.

The lawyers from both sides then took the lead and arranged a meeting at Singalkar’s home to settle the dispute outside the court. Incidentally, the meeting was attended by the husband & wife was contacted on WhatsApp video call.

The wife had also sent her brother to represent her. The lawyers had informed the court that both parties were already living separately in US for over a year.

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