SC uses extraordinary power to end marriage of woman

Woman accused mother-in-law of sorcery

The Supreme Court has come to rescue of a woman who accused her husband of infidelity and mother-in-law of witchcraft and sorcery, by ending her five-year-old matrimonial alliance with a man from Bengaluru.

A single-judge bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy used the power granted to the Supreme Court under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice, for the purpose.

The matter has reached the court after she sought transfer of her divorce petition filed in Bengaluru court by her husband to Chennai.

The 27-year-old woman claimed since her marriage on March 12, 2015, her husband "quarreled her on trivial issues and subjected her to verbal abuses". Besides, she claimed to have come across his extramarital affairs on several occasions. She said she bore instances of cruelty with fortitude with a hope that the time would set right her bruised relationship.

However, the situation came to a pass after her mother-in-law started claiming herself to be goddess 'Karumari Amman' threatened her to follow her instructions or she will face grievous circumstances. She had to finally take refuge with her parents who had also failed to make her husband mend his wayward life.

When the matter reached the top court, it referred the case to the mediation centre at Chennai where the husband decided to settle it by paying a sum of Rs 7.50 lakh as permanent alimony.

During the hearing, husband's counsel Sanjay M Nuli and the woman asked the court to grant a decree of divorce.

"Since the parties have settled their disputes amicably, this court in the exercise of its power under Article 142 of the Constitution of India annul the marriage of the parties, solemnized on March 12, 2015," Justice Roy said in the order passed on June 3.