In Brief
Anu Bhandari and Pradip Bhandari, married in 1997 with two children, had been living separately since 2011 and were entangled in 23 pending cases across various courts. After mediation by Justice Lisa Gill and Senior Counsel Ms. Meenakshi Arora, they reached a comprehensive settlement. The Supreme Court granted their divorce by mutual consent under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act without requiring the statutory six-month waiting period, since the parties had taken a conscious, independent decision. All related civil and criminal cases were quashed or dismissed to prevent further litigation. The Court ordered property transfer to the wife and children and directed the husband to pay ₹50,000 to the wife. The judgment emphasizes courts' statutory duty to facilitate settlement and conciliation in family disputes.
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