Supreme Court Dissolves Marriage Under Article 142 After Successful Mediation Settlement.
09 October 2025
Mutual Divorce in India >> Divorce Laws in India
On 9 October 2025, India's Supreme Court used its authority under Article 142 of the Constitution to annul the union between Ved Prakash Pandey and Ayushi Kumari, after a successful mediation session that allowed the couple to resolve all pending issues amicably.
Case Background:
The matter originated from a transfer petition filed by Ayushi Kumari seeking transfer of matrimonial proceedings. During the course of hearings, the Bench—comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih—referred the parties to the Supreme Court Mediation Centre to explore the possibility of settlement.
The mediation attempt was successful, and both parties consented to resolving their matrimonial disputes and submitting a joint application to the Court seeking divorce by mutual consent under Article 142 read with Section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
Terms of Settlement:
As per the joint application (IA No. 254867 of 2025), the respondent-husband undertook to pay a settlement of Rs. 11,00,000 to the petitioner-wife. A demand draft No. 808231 dated 30 September 2025 drawn upon Punjab National Bank, Chhapka (Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh) was submitted in Court to the lawyer of the petitioner.
The parties also undertook that they would have no additional claims against each other subsequent to this payment. The settlement terms, as noted in paragraph 8 of the joint application, were incorporated into the Court's final order.
Pending Cases Quashed:
The Court observed that two cases were pending between the parties:
- Transfer Petition (Civil) No. 386 of 2025 before the Supreme Court.
- Matrimonial Case No. 477 of 2024 filed under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act, pending before the Family Court, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh.
- Documenting that both the parties agreed to the settlement of their own accord without pressure or coercion, the Bench decreed divorce by mutual consent under Article 142. Seizing its inherent powers additionally, the Court struck down all pending litigations among the parties and instructed the concerned courts and police stations to stamp the cases as closed on receiving the order.
Court's Appreciation:
The Supreme Court valued the mediator's service of bringing about the settlement of the conflict via peaceful negotiation. Determining that nothing was left to be adjudicated, the Bench dismissed the transfer petition and all pending applications.
Section 13B, HINDU MARRIAGE ACT - 1955