Nobody above law in country: Supreme Court in matrimonial case

New Delhi: Nobody is above the law in this country, the Supreme Court on Thursday observed in a dispute between a man and his estranged wife, an IPS officer.

Justices B R Gavai, Augustine George Masih and K Vinod Chandran made the remark after the man's counsel raised an apprehension that he would be made to suffer all his life for the estranged wife was an IPS officer.

The bench said the parties should settle their disputes in the interest of justice.

"She is an IPS officer. You are a businessman. Rather than wasting your time in the court, you should settle it. We are here to protect you if there is any victimisation," the bench told the counsel.

"Nobody is above the law in this country," it added.

The counsel said his client and his father were jailed in connection with the cases lodged by the woman.

The counsel alleged the estranged wife gave a wrong declaration that no FIR was registered against her but she faced two FIRs on the day she filled a form at the time of joining the police service.

"You are more interested in ensuring that she loses her job," the bench said.

The counsel said it was for the home ministry to take action if she had made any wrong declaration in her form.

"You are not interested in saving your life. You are interested in ensuring that her career goes. Ultimately, in the process of ruining her life, you will also ruin your life," said the court.

The bench observed it was "very clear" the man wasn't interested in settlement and said, "You are not interested in living your life happily. But you are only interested to ruin somebody else life. It is more than clear to us." The bench noted it couldn't force a settlement on the parties if they were unwilling and suggested they settled the disputes.

"If you have any apprehensions, we will take care of that in our order," it added.

The lawyers appearing for both the sides said the parties would sit together and try to find an amicable solution to the disputes.

The bench posted the hearing after two weeks.

One of the pleas filed by the woman in the top court challenged the Allahabad High Court's June 2022 verdict.

The high court discharged the parents of the man in a criminal case lodged by the woman.