Divorce proceedings held on Skype, separation granted

In what could perhaps be the first such case in Maharashtra and the second such instance in India, a family court in Pune has granted divorce to a couple after one of the petitioners appeared through video-conferencing over Skype.

The woman (26) hails from Amravati and the man (28) is from Nagpur and were working as software professionals at Hinjewadi in Pune, the IT capital of Maharashtra. 

They fell in love and married on 9 May, 2015. However, because of their separate professional careers compatibility issues cropped up and they started living separately from 30 June, 2015 - nearly a month after marriage.  The lady now works in London while the man is settled in Singapore - and in August 2016, after mutual consent they filed divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.

The case was heard before Pune Civil Judge, Senior Division, V. S. Malkapatte-Reddy, who is Presiding Officer, Matrimonial Cases.

"It was a unique case for Maharashtra," advocate Suchit Mundada, who represents the lady, told the Deccan Herald. While the man was present in the court on Saturday, the lady could not come down from London because of professional commitments. "We requested for video-conferening over Skype, which was allowed by the court," he said.

"At the appointed time, the wife called from London and the husband was present before the court in Pune...her version was taken and the divorce was granted," he said, adding that the Bombay High Court last year had allowed recording of evidence through video-conferencing.

In November  2015, a similar case was reported from Telangana when a Khammam court used Skype to dispose of a divorce case involving a US-based NRI woman and her husband Kiran, a resident of Khammam. The lady deposed through Skype.