In Brief
Amit Kumar and Suman Beniwal, both senior government officers (IPS and IFS), married on 10 September 2020 but separated within three days due to irreconcilable differences. After 14+ months apart, they jointly sought divorce by mutual consent under the Hindu Marriage Act, asking the court to waive the mandatory six-month waiting period before the second motion. The Family Court and High Court refused, following a strict reading of Amardeep Singh v. Harveen Kaur. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that the six-month waiting period is directory, not mandatory, and may be waived where marriage has irretrievably broken down with no possibility of reconciliation. The Court granted mutual divorce under Article 142, emphasizing that prolonging the statutory period would only increase the parties' suffering.
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