Slow proceedings in divorce case 'matter of concern': Punjab and Haryana High Court

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 4

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has described as a “matter of concern” the pendency of a divorce matter before a local court. Taking up the matter, the Bench has also called for a report from the court concerned. It has been asked to explain why the proceedings were being conducted at a slow pace as alleged in the petition. The Chandigarh District Judge has also been directed to append his own comments on the report before furnishing it to the High Court.

The direction by Justice HS Madaan of the High Court came on a revision petition filed by a husband through counsel Varinder Chhibbar. As the case came up for preliminary hearing, Justice Madaan observed that the revisionist was also the petitioner in the divorce petition filed by him against his wife. He was aggrieved by the slow pace of the proceedings in the matter pending before the court of an Additional District Judge, Chandigarh.

Justice Madaan also took note of the contentions by the counsel for the revisionist-husband that the divorce petition was filed in 2016, but it was still pending. Furthermore, two applications filed on behalf of the respondent-wife seeking constitution of a medical board by the PGI, Chandigarh, for conducting the husband’s medical examination were also pending for the past about two years.

“This is definitely a matter of concern. Let the report from the court concerned be called as to why the proceedings are being conducted at a slow pace as alleged in the revision petition and why the applications for constitution of medical board for medical examination of the petitioner are pending for the past two years,” Justice Madaan asserted.

Before parting with the order, Justice Madaan further made it clear that the trial court would also enclose the copies of the interim orders passed in the case right from the institution of the petition before it till date. The matter will now come up for further hearing before the High Court in the last week of January next.