Supreme Court – Daily Orders
Aparna Bhatt vs Ravindra Pandey on 23 March, 2026
Author: Vikram Nath
Bench: Vikram Nath
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION
TRANSFER PETITION (CIVIL) NO(S).2565 OF 2024
APARNA BHATT ….PETITIONER(S)
VERSUS
RAVINDRA PANDEY ….RESPONDENT(S)
WITH
TRANSFER PETITION (CIVIL) NO(S).1723 OF 2025
ORDER
1. Heard.
2. The present matters arise out of two transfer
petitions filed by petitioner-wife seeking transfer of: –
(i) Original Civil Suit No.248 of 2024
instituted by the respondent-husband
under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage
Act, 1955 and pending before the
Additional Family Judge, Family Court,
Roorkee, District Haridwar, Uttarakhand1
and
Signature Not VerifiedDigitally signed by
NEETU KHAJURIA
Date: 2026.04.011 Transfer Petition (Civil) No. 2565/2024
16:54:52 IST
Reason:
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(ii) Original Civil Suit No.72 of 2025
instituted by the respondent-husband
under Section 7 of Family Courts Act,
1984 and pending before the Additional
Principal Judge-First, Family Court,
Roorkee, District Haridwar, Uttarakhand2,to the Court of the Principal Judge, Family Court,
South West District, Dwarka, New Delhi.
3. It may be noted that the petitioner-wife and the
respondent-husband are highly qualified persons
and are embroiled in numerous litigations arising
from their matrimonial strife.
4. During the pendency of the instant transfer
petitions, this Court by order dated 8th August,
2025, recorded the submissions advanced by
learned counsel for the parties to the effect that
their respective clients were inclined to explore the
possibility of an amicable settlement through
mediation. Accordingly, the parties along with their
authorized representatives, were directed to appear
before the Mediation Center on 23 rd August, 2025 to
facilitate a settlement between them. Pursuant
2 Transfer Petition (Civil) No. 1723/2025
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thereto, the parties participated in the mediation
proceedings. However, the same did not fructify into
a settlement. In order to make one more effort to
amicably settle all the disputes, this court by order
dated 29th January, 2026, directed the parties to
remain present before it on 23rd February, 2026.
5. On 23rd February, 2026, this Court requested
Mr. Balaji Srinivasan, learned Advocate-on-record,
to act as a Mediator for settling the disputes
between the parties. Consequently, with the
cooperation of all concerned and the persuasive
efforts of Mr. Srinivasan, the parties have arrived at
an amicable settlement. The terms of settlement
have been placed on record by way of Interlocutory
Application No. 63716 of 2026, being a joint
application filed by the parties under Article 142 of
the Constitution of India.
6. The settlement agreement executed inter se
between the parties on 24 th February, 2026 shall
form part of this order.
7. In terms of the settlement, the respondent-
husband has handed over a demand draft of Rs.32
lacs, prepared in the name of the petitioner-wife and
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drawn on State Bank of India, to the petitioner-wife
in Court.
8. The aforesaid demand draft completes the
agreed quantum of permanent alimony of
Rs.42,00,000/- between the parties. It may be
mentioned that the respondent-husband had
already paid a sum of Rs. 10 lakhs to the petitioner-
wife previously.
9. The passbook of the Sukanya Samriddhi
Yojana bearing Account No. 4151610132, opened in
the name of the child Ms. A. P.3, has been handed
over to the petitioner-wife by the respondent-
husband, along with a letter giving no objection that
the father’s name be replaced/incorporated with the
mother’s name. The petitioner-mother has agreed to
make regular deposits of Rs.1,50,000/- per annum
in the said account for the duration permitted under
the scheme. On maturity of this scheme, the
amount shall be utilized for the benefit of the child.
10. The parties have agreed that the permanent
guardianship of the child shall remain with the
petitioner-wife. The respondent-husband shall,
3 Hereinafter, being referred to the ‘child’
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however, have the following visitation and
communication rights with the daughter:
i. The respondent-husband shall have the
right to personal video call with the child
every Saturday and Sunday between 7:00
PM and 7:30 PM for 10–15 minutes via a
designated WhatsApp account bearing
Mobile No. 87XXXXXX16 and any change
in schedule shall be intimated by 2:00 PM
on the respective day.
ii. The respondent-husband shall visit and
have exclusive time with the child for 3
hours each on the 2nd and 4th weekend of
every month (either on a Saturday or
Sunday between 12:00 noon and 7:00
PM) at a location chosen by the petitioner-
wife. Intimation of time and place shall be
given one day in advance by petitioner-
wife via WhatsApp.
iii. The child’s birthday shall be celebrated at
a location chosen by the petitioner-wife,
and the respondent-husband shall be
permitted to participate and meet the
child on her birthday.
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iv. The child shall stay with the respondent-
husband for 3 weeks during summer
vacations and 1 week during winter
vacations, either at the respondent-
husband’s residence in Roorkee or at his
parents’ residence in Haldwani. The
respondent-husband shall arrange safe
pick-up and drop of the child. Both
parties shall inform each other of
schedule, date, and time at least two
weeks in advance via WhatsApp. The said
arrangement shall continue even if there
is a change in residence.
v. The child shall spend the festival holiday
during Diwali, Holi and Dussehra on a
rotational basis every year with the
petitioner-wife and respondent-husband
respectively.
vi. All visitation, custody, interaction, and
stay arrangements outlined above shall
be subject to the child’s welfare,
happiness, development, and best
interests. The petitioner-wife shall fully
cooperate and facilitate the child’s
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interaction and stay with the respondent-
husband.
11. The respondent-husband has further
undertaken to extend full cooperation to the
petitioner-wife in procuring duplicate passbooks of
the Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) bearing Account Nos.
3721871225, 3721868720, 3721958711,
3721860724 and 3721866498, the amounts
whereof were invested in the name of the petitioner-
wife.
12. As desired by the parties, the IIT post office,
Roorkee is directed to transfer Sukanya Samriddhi
Yojana bearing Account No. 4151610132 opened in
the name of child to the Dwarka Post office, Sector-
6, New Delhi.
13. All proceedings in the following cases
registered inter se between the parties and their
relatives(as referred to in Paragraph No. 13 of the
settlement agreement) shall stand closed: –
(i) Original Civil Suit No. 248/2024 filed by the
respondent-husband for restitution of conjugal
rights against the petitioner-wife under section 9 of
the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 pending before the7
Court of the Additional Family Court Judge, Family
Court Roorkee, District Haridwar, Uttarakhand;
(ii) Recovery Suit No. 72 of 2025 filed by the
respondent-husband against the petitioner-wife
under Section 7 of the Family Courts Act, 1984
pending before the Court of Additional Principal
Judge-I, Family Court, Roorkee, Haridwar,
Uttarakhand;
(iii) Child Custody Application being G.P. No. 76/2024
filed by the respondent-husband before the Court
of Principal Judge, Family Court, Dwarka Court,
New Delhi against the petitioner-wife;
(iv) Complaint being MC No. 894 of 2023 filed by the
petitioner-wife under Section 12 of DV Act pending
before the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First
Class (Mahila Court)-02, South West, Dwarka
Court, New Delhi against the respondent-husband
and his family members father Mr. Ramesh
Chandra Pandey and mother Mrs. Saroj Pandey;
(v) Complaint being for Maintenance being
Maintenance Case No.763 of 2023 filed by the
petitioner-wife against the respondent-husband
pending before the Court of Principal Judge, Family
Court, South West, Dwarka Courts, New Delhi
under Section 125 of Cr.P.C;
(vi) Criminal Case No.4267 of 2024 pending before the
Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (Mahila
Court)- 02, South West Delhi, Dwarka Court, New
Delhi; arising out of the F.I.R. No.465 of 2023 dated
14.09.2023 registered with the Dwarka South
Police Station, Dwarka, New Delhi under Sections
498A, 406, 34 of IPC, on the basis of complaint
filed by the petitioner-wife against the respondent-
husband and his father Mr. Ramesh Chandra
Pandey and mother Mrs. Saroj Pandey;”
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14. Registry is directed to communicate this order
to all the relevant Courts referred to above so that
such Courts may pass appropriate formal orders
closing the proceedings.
15. We hereby direct that the marriage between the
respondent-husband and the petitioner-wife stands
dissolved in exercise of the powers conferred under
Article 142 of the Constitution of India.
16. Decree be drawn accordingly.
17. We express our deepest appreciation for the
sincere efforts made by Shri Balaji Srinivasan,
Advocate on record, as well as the learned counsel
for the parties, in facilitating an amicable settlement
between them.
18. The transfer petitions are disposed of
accordingly.
19. Pending application(s), if any, shall stand
disposed of.
….……………………J.
(VIKRAM NATH)
……………………….J.
(SANDEEP MEHTA)
NEW DELHI;
MARCH 23, 2026.
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ITEM NO.33 COURT NO.2 SECTION III-A
S U P R E M E C O U R T O F I N D I A
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
Transfer Petition(s)(Civil) No(s). 2565/2024
APARNA BHATT Petitioner(s)
VERSUS
RAVINDRA PANDEY Respondent(s)
JOINT APPLICATION FOR DECREE OF DIVORCE
IA No. 63716/2026 – APPLICATION FOR DIVORCE
IA No. 218492/2024 – EX-PARTE STAY
WITH
T.P.(C) No. 1723/2025 (III-A)
FOR STAY APPLICATION ON IA 147344/2025
FOR EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T. ON IA 147347/2025
IA No. 147347/2025 – EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T.
IA No. 147344/2025 – STAY APPLICATION
Date : 23-03-2026 These matters were called on for hearing today.
CORAM : HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE VIKRAM NATH
HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SANDEEP MEHTA
For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Aneesh Renganathan, Adv.
Mr. Jaskaran Singh Grewal, Adv.
Mr. Prabhat Kumar, Adv.
Mr. Yugansh Mittal, AOR
For Respondent(s) :Mr. A. Venayagam Balan, AOR
Mrs. Santhanalakshmi, Adv.
Mr. Puneet Thakur, Adv.
UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following
O R D E R
The transfer petitions are disposed of
in terms of the signed order which is
placed with the file.
Pending application(s), if any, shall
stand disposed of.
(SONIA BHASIN) (RANJANA SHAILEY)
ASSISTANT REGISTRAR-CUM-PS ASSISTANT REGISTRAR
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