Smt. Rupinder Kaur vs Prit Pal Singh on 22 July, 2026

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    Rajasthan High Court – Jodhpur

    Smt. Rupinder Kaur vs Prit Pal Singh on 22 July, 2026

    Author: Farjand Ali

    Bench: Farjand Ali

    [2026:RJ-JP:33461]
    
            HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN
                           AT JODHPUR
    
                  S.B. Civil Transfer Application No. 110/2026
                              CNR: RJHC010454422026
                               URN: CTA / 291U / 2026
    
    Smt. Rupinder Kaur W/o Prit Pal Singh, Aged About 35 Years, D/
    o Shri Bakshish Singh At Present R/o Village Luhara Tehsil
    Raisingh Nagar District Sri Ganganagar Raj.
                                                                            ----Petitioner
                                             Versus
    Prit Pal Singh S/o Shri Kulwant Singh, Village 6 Ff Tehsil Shri
    Karanpur District Sri Ganganagar Raj.
                                                                          ----Respondent
    
    
    For Petitioner(s)               :    None present
    For Respondent(s)               :    -
    
    
    
                    HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE FARJAND ALI

    Order

    22/07/2026

    SPONSORED

    1. By way of the instant transfer application, the petitioner-wife

    seeks transfer of Case No.49/2017, presently pending before the

    learned Addl. Session Judge, Sri Karanpur, Sri Ganganagar

    (hereinafter referred to as “Court X”), to the Court of learned

    Addl. District Judge, Raisingh Nagar, District Sri Ganganagar

    (hereinafter referred to as “Court Y”).

    2. The transfer application has been perused. The pleadings

    and the material placed on record indicate that the respondent-

    husband has instituted proceedings under Section 9 of the Hindu

    Marriage Act before Court X. It is averred that the petitioner-wife

    is presently residing at Raisingh Nagar and is not in a position to

    undertake repeated travel to Sri Karanpur for attending the

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    proceedings on every date of hearing. It has further been pleaded

    that the distance between the two places is approximately 35

    kilometres and repeated travel would cause grave inconvenience,

    financial hardship and avoidable physical and mental distress to

    the petitioner. It is, therefore, prayed that the aforesaid

    proceedings be transferred from Court X to Court Y in the interest

    of justice and convenience of the parties.

    3. Though the matter has been called, none appears on behalf

    of either of the parties. Nevertheless, this Court has proceeded to

    examine the pleadings and the material available on record. At the

    outset, this Court deems it appropriate to observe that issuance of

    notice in every matrimonial transfer petition and keeping such

    matters pending for years together, particularly where interim stay

    orders continue to operate meanwhile, seldom advances the cause

    of justice. The experience of this Court demonstrates that in a

    considerable number of matters, transfer petitions remain pending

    merely at the stage of service and completion of pleadings for two

    to three years. Such prolongation neither subserves the

    institutional interest of expeditious adjudication nor secures the

    welfare of litigating spouses already embroiled in matrimonial

    discord. Rather, it unnecessarily prolongs the agony of parties and

    delays substantive adjudication of the disputes inter se them.

    4. This Court cannot be oblivious to the fact that where the

    circumstances emerging from the record unmistakably indicate

    that the balance of convenience overwhelmingly leans in favour of

    one forum and the governing judicial precedents also support such

    transfer, insistence upon prolonged procedural formalities would

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    only defeat the very object sought to be achieved. When the

    ultimate outcome appears reasonably foreseeable in light of

    settled legal principles, deferring the matter for years merely for

    completion of service would amount to allowing procedure to

    overshadow justice itself.

    5. The administrative as well as supervisory jurisdiction of this

    Court under Article 227 of the Constitution of India, read with the

    powers traceable to Section 24 of the Code of Civil Procedure, is

    sufficiently wide to enable this Court to exercise its jurisdiction

    even suo motu wherever the ends of justice so demand. Such

    power can also be invoked on the administrative side to ensure

    effective and expeditious administration of justice. In the backdrop

    of the present matrimonial dispute, this Court is of the considered

    opinion that merely because none appears on behalf of either of

    the parties, the matter need not be deferred where the record

    itself unmistakably justifies exercise of jurisdiction. Keeping such

    transfer petitions pending solely on account of non-appearance of

    parties would only contribute to avoidable delay, thereby causing

    prejudice to both the spouses. Matrimonial litigation, by its very

    nature, calls for a pragmatic and justice-oriented approach, and

    procedural formalities ought not to be permitted to defeat the

    larger objective of securing expeditious justice. Where the

    proposed course neither occasions prejudice to either party nor

    impinges upon their substantive rights, this Court would be

    justified in exercising its supervisory jurisdiction to obviate

    unnecessary delay and to ensure that the lis reaches its logical

    conclusion at the earliest.

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    6. This Court is conscious of the practical realities surrounding

    matrimonial litigations. In a large number of matrimonial disputes,

    proceedings under Sections 498-A IPC, cases under D.V. Act,

    Section 125 Cr.P.C., petitions under Sections 9 and 13 of the Hindu

    Marriage Act and other allied proceedings are instituted at the

    place where the wife is residing. Consequently, even otherwise,

    the respondent-husband is invariably required to appear before

    the Courts situated at the place where transfer is sought. In such

    circumstances, requiring the wife to simultaneously contest

    proceedings instituted by the husband at another distant place

    results in avoidable multiplicity of travel, financial burden and

    mental hardship for both parties. This Court finds substance in the

    contention that where one spouse is already appearing before the

    Courts situated at the place where the other spouse resides,

    insistence upon continuation of connected matrimonial

    proceedings at different stations becomes wholly cumbersome and

    impractical. Consolidation of proceedings at one place not only

    minimises inconvenience but also facilitates coordinated

    adjudication and reduces the possibility of conflicting orders.

    7. This Court is conscious that the rule of audi alteram partem

    constitutes a foundational principle of natural justice and ordinarily

    no order affecting the rights of a party ought to be passed without

    affording an opportunity of hearing. At the same time, it is equally

    well settled that the application of the said principle is not

    inflexible and admits of well-recognised exceptions where the

    circumstances so warrant. A mere transfer of proceedings from

    one competent Court to another does not extinguish, curtail or

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    adversely affect the substantive rights of either party, inasmuch as

    the lis continues to be adjudicated on its own merits by a Court of

    competent jurisdiction. The present order neither determines any

    issue in controversy nor confers any advantage upon either side

    except facilitating a more convenient forum for adjudication.

    Furthermore, where the material available on record unmistakably

    demonstrates that the proposed transfer would neither occasion

    irreversible prejudice to either party nor impinge upon their

    substantive rights, this Court would be justified in exercising its

    supervisory jurisdiction without insisting upon further procedural

    formalities, particularly when postponement of the matter would

    only prolong the litigation without advancing the cause of justice.

    8. This Court is, therefore, of the considered view that in the

    peculiar facts of the present case, neither issuance of notice nor

    adjournment on account of non-appearance of the parties would

    serve any meaningful purpose. The record itself furnishes

    sufficient material for exercise of jurisdiction. Consequently,

    service upon the respondent deserves to be dispensed with and

    this Court considers it appropriate to proceed with the matter in

    exercise of its supervisory jurisdiction.

    9. Perused the material available on record.

    10. 10. The Hon’ble Supreme Court in Vinisha Jitesh Tolani

    @ Manmeet Laghmani v. Jitesh Kishore Tolani reported in

    (2010) 5 SCC 748 has observed that in matrimonial disputes

    instituted by the husband against the wife, the convenience of the

    wife deserves paramount consideration and ordinarily such

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    proceedings should be adjudicated at a place proximate to the

    residence of the wife so as to obviate undue hardship.

    11. Having regard to the aforesaid judicial pronouncement, the

    facts and circumstances of the present case, and the grounds

    urged in the transfer petition, this Court finds the present

    application deserving of acceptance. 12. Accordingly, the

    transfer petition is allowed. Consequently, Case No.49/2017

    presently pending before Court X is transferred to the Court of

    learned Addl. District Judge, Raisingh Nagar, District Sri

    Ganganagar (Court Y) for adjudication in accordance with law.

    13. The learned Judge, Court X, is directed to forthwith transmit

    the entire record of the case to the transferee Court. He shall also

    prepare and forward a report containing particulars of all pending

    matrimonial or connected proceedings, if any, between the parties

    pending before his Court as on date and instituted thereafter.

    14. It is further directed that henceforth the aforesaid

    proceedings shall proceed exclusively before the learned Addl.

    District Judge, Raisingh Nagar, District Sri Ganganagar .

    15. This Court further considers it appropriate to direct that the

    learned District Judge concerned as well as the learned Judge,

    Family Court concerned, shall endeavour, to the extent

    administratively feasible, to ensure that all pending and future

    litigations between the parties are coordinated and listed on one

    and the same date so as to minimise multiplicity of appearances,

    avoid unnecessary inconvenience and secure the ends of justice.

    16. It is made clear that while adjudicating the present transfer

    petition, this Court has neither examined nor expressed any

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    opinion upon the merits of the disputes inter se the parties. The

    controversy raised in the substantive proceedings shall be

    independently adjudicated by the competent Court uninfluenced

    by any observation made herein. The present exercise is confined

    only to determination of the forum most conducive and convenient

    for fair adjudication of the disputes between the parties.

    17. The stay application as well as all pending applications, if

    any, also stand disposed of accordingly.

    (FARJAND ALI),J

    102/Chhavi nagal/648

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