<p><br />The case before the court pertains to a 37-year-old marriage of Girish and Lata Mehta.<br />The couple tied the knot way back in 1972. A few years later, Girish moved to the United States, while Lata and their son stayed in India. They visited him in the US occasionally. <br />The relations between the couple soured ten years after the marriage, and Girish applied for divorce to a court in Illinois while Lata was in India. <br /><br />He told the US court that he did not know his wife’s whereabouts. The court granted him divorce in 1983, when he was still an Indian citizen. <br /><br />Later, in 1988 he attained US citizenship. Girish then wedded for the second time. In 1996, Lata moved a lower court here, initiating criminal proceedings against him for bigamy, which is an offence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). <br /><br />Following this, Girish filed a petition before the Bombay High Court, seeking to quash the proceedings for bigamy. Justice Abhay Oka, who heard the final arguments on Girish’s petition early this week, asked the lawyers: “Can the US court dissolve marriage solmenised under Hindu Marriage Act?” <br /><br />Lata’s lawyer Abad Ponda pointed out that a family court in Mumbai held divorce granted by US court invalid in 2003. Justice Oka has now reserved the judgement.</p>.<p><br /><br />'Mangalsutra' not must</p>.<p>Madurai, PTI: A woman’s 21-year legal quest to prove that she was married bore fruit with a Madras High Court bench here upholding the validity of her wedding saying it was not mandatory for the groom to tie a ‘mangalsutra’ around the bride’s neck to prove a marriage between Hindus.<br /><br />“It is not mandatory for the groom to tie mangalsutra around the bride’s neck to prove a marriage between Hindus. It is sufficient to prove solemnisation of marriage in any recognised form as per the Hindu Marriage Act Section 7,” Justice M M Sundresh said, dismissing an appeal challenging a lower court order upholding the marriage validity.<br /><br />According to the woman, her marriage with Kaladhar was solemnised on December 13, 1987 at a local temple after she became pregnant. <br /><br />She alleged that her husband harassed her for dowry and deserted her five months later. Her baby also died during delivery on July 6, 1988, she claimed.<br /><br />The woman then filed a case seeking a declaration that that she was the legally wedded wife of the appellant. <br /><br />The lower court decree upheld the validity of the marriage in 1998.<br /></p>
<p><br />The case before the court pertains to a 37-year-old marriage of Girish and Lata Mehta.<br />The couple tied the knot way back in 1972. A few years later, Girish moved to the United States, while Lata and their son stayed in India. They visited him in the US occasionally. <br />The relations between the couple soured ten years after the marriage, and Girish applied for divorce to a court in Illinois while Lata was in India. <br /><br />He told the US court that he did not know his wife’s whereabouts. The court granted him divorce in 1983, when he was still an Indian citizen. <br /><br />Later, in 1988 he attained US citizenship. Girish then wedded for the second time. In 1996, Lata moved a lower court here, initiating criminal proceedings against him for bigamy, which is an offence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). <br /><br />Following this, Girish filed a petition before the Bombay High Court, seeking to quash the proceedings for bigamy. Justice Abhay Oka, who heard the final arguments on Girish’s petition early this week, asked the lawyers: “Can the US court dissolve marriage solmenised under Hindu Marriage Act?” <br /><br />Lata’s lawyer Abad Ponda pointed out that a family court in Mumbai held divorce granted by US court invalid in 2003. Justice Oka has now reserved the judgement.</p>.<p><br /><br />'Mangalsutra' not must</p>.<p>Madurai, PTI: A woman’s 21-year legal quest to prove that she was married bore fruit with a Madras High Court bench here upholding the validity of her wedding saying it was not mandatory for the groom to tie a ‘mangalsutra’ around the bride’s neck to prove a marriage between Hindus.<br /><br />“It is not mandatory for the groom to tie mangalsutra around the bride’s neck to prove a marriage between Hindus. It is sufficient to prove solemnisation of marriage in any recognised form as per the Hindu Marriage Act Section 7,” Justice M M Sundresh said, dismissing an appeal challenging a lower court order upholding the marriage validity.<br /><br />According to the woman, her marriage with Kaladhar was solemnised on December 13, 1987 at a local temple after she became pregnant. <br /><br />She alleged that her husband harassed her for dowry and deserted her five months later. Her baby also died during delivery on July 6, 1988, she claimed.<br /><br />The woman then filed a case seeking a declaration that that she was the legally wedded wife of the appellant. <br /><br />The lower court decree upheld the validity of the marriage in 1998.<br /></p>