Pune judge grants divorce on Skype

pune — Marking a probable first in Maharashtra, a Pune couple was granted divorce by mutual consent after appearing online on Skype, a lawyer said on Tuesday.

Both the husband and wife are software engineers, working in Singapore and London respectively.

In August 2016, they filed a divorce petition by mutual consent under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, before the Pune Civil Judge.

While the husband came down from Singapore for the court hearing on Saturday, the wife was held back owing to certain work commitments.

Advocate Suchit Mundada requested the court to permit videoconferencing, as allowed by the Bombay High Court last year.

The court accepted and allowed the wife to present her evidence on skype Suchit Mundada, advocate

“The court accepted and allowed the wife to present her evidence on Skype,” Mundada said.

He said the woman, 26, hailed from Amravati and the man, 28, was from Nagpur. Being software engineers, they settled in Pune after their love marriage on May 9, 2015.

Barely a month later, both got an opportunity to work abroad, but in two different locations.

While the husband took up the Singapore offer, the wife stayed back, but felt her marriage was hindering her professional career.

This resulted in huge differences of opinion. They started living separately from June 30, 2015 — a month after marriage. A year later, they filed for divorce by mutual consent.

Thereafter, the husband moved to Singapore and she worked in London, but her terms of employment did not permit her to appear before the court in person for the hearing.

Mundada said that after hearing both sides, the court granted the divorce, observing they were not able to live together compassionately. —