In Brief
Harjinder Singh and Rajpal sought to end their marriage by mutual consent after two decades of separation and litigation. The Lower Courts had initially rejected their divorce petition on grounds of cruelty and desertion. When the matter reached the Supreme Court, the Judge arranged mediation with a Senior Advocate's assistance. The parties reached a settlement: the husband agreed to pay ₹22 lakhs to the wife in full settlement. The Court granted the divorce decree under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, dispensing with the statutory waiting period given the lengthy separation and genuine mutual consent, and dismissed the wife's pending maintenance claim.
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