Smt. Upasana Jain vs Sh. Nikhilesh Tayal … on 12 March, 2026

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    Rajasthan High Court – Jodhpur

    Smt. Upasana Jain vs Sh. Nikhilesh Tayal … on 12 March, 2026

    Author: Rekha Borana

    Bench: Rekha Borana

    [2026:RJ-JD:11782]
    
          HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT
                           JODHPUR
                     S.B. Civil Transfer Appl. No. 205/2025
    
    Mamta Kumari W/o Ghanshyam, Aged About 29 Years, D/o Shri
    Ramswaroop, R/o Ward No. 40, Laxmi Nagar, Tehsil Nohar, Dist.
    Hanumangarh (Raj.)
                                                                        ----Petitioner
                                         Versus
    Ghanshyam S/o Shri Om Prakash, Aged About 30 Years, R/o
    Ward No. 05, RCP Colony, Norangdesar, Tehsil Nohar, District
    Hanumangarh, (Raj.)
                                                                      ----Respondent
                                            and
    
    
                     S.B. Civil Transfer Appl. No. 215/2025
    
     Smt. Shweta Sharma W/o Shri Anuj Bhaskar, Aged About 35
     Years, D/o Shri Tusliram Sharma R/o B-6, Gandhi Colony,
     Pawanpuri, Bikaner, (Raj.)
                                                                        ----Petitioner
                                         Versus
     Anuj Bhaskar S/o Shri Jayant Bhaskar, Aged About 35 Years,
     R/o 309, Aayojna Sky, Krishi Anusadhan Nagar, Pratap Nagar,
     Jaipur
    
    
                     S.B. Civil Transfer Appl. No. 230/2025
    
     Smt. Upasana Jain W/o Shri Nikhilesh Tayal, Aged About 42
     Years, D/o Shri Padam Ji Resident Of 2/230 Tiwari Ka Kuan,
     Darzi Pada, Munshi Bazar, Alwar(Raj.).
                                                                        ----Petitioner
                                         Versus
     Sh. Nikhilesh Tayal S/o Sh. Rajendra Prasad Tayal, R/o 70,
     Nakoda Complex, Hiranmagari, Sector No.4, Udaipur (Raj.).
                                                                      ----Respondent
    
    
                     S.B. Civil Transfer Appl. No. 309/2025
    
     Minaxi D/o Murarilal, Aged About 40 Years, W/o Hemant
     Prakash, Resident Of Ward No. 27 Nohar, Tehsil Nohar District
    
    
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     Hanumangarh.
                                                                       ----Petitioner
                                        Versus
     Hemant Prakash Bhanbhairu S/o Shyamsunder, Resident of
     Ward No. 32 Rajgarh, Tehsil Rajgarh District Churu.
                                                                     ----Respondent
    
    
    For Petitioner(s)         :     Mr. Vinod Kumar Sihag (in TA
                                    No.205/25)
                                    Mr. Mukul Krishna Vyas (in TA
                                    No.215/25)
                                    Ms. Shruthi Rathi for
                                    Mr. Anuj Sahlot (in TA No.230/25)
                                    Mr. G.R. Bhari (in TA No.309/25)
    For Respondent(s)         :     Mr. Mahendra Kumar for
                                    Mr. Ravinder Kumar (in TA
                                    No.205/25)
                                    Mr. Ankit Bhaskar (in TA No.215/25)
                                    Mr. R.S. Mankad (in TA No.230/25)
                                    with Ms. Priti Gehlot
                                    Mr. Ravi Panwar (in TA No.309/25)
    
    
    
                  HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE REKHA BORANA
    
                                         Order
    
    12/03/2026
    
    
    1.    As all these transfer applications arise out of similar
    
    circumstances and involve common questions of law, they are
    
    being decided by this common order.
    
    2.    All the petitions have been preferred by the petitioner-wife
    
    seeking transfer of proceedings instituted by the respondent-
    
    husband under various provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
    
    to the Court within whose jurisdiction the petitioner-wife is
    
    presently residing/working.
    
    3.    The petitioners in the respective applications have invoked
    
    the jurisdiction of this Court under Section 24 of the Code of Civil
    
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    Procedure, praying that the various proceedings pending before
    
    different      Courts      be     transferred          to     the     place     of   their
    
    residence/workplace. Although the factual matrix in each petition
    
    varies, the grounds raised by the Petitioner wives are substantially
    
    common and relate to the hardships faced by them in attending
    
    proceedings at distant forums.
    
    4.     In some of the petitions, it has been urged that the
    
    petitioner-wife, being a woman with minor child/children solely
    
    under her care, faces grave difficulty in travelling long distances,
    
    particularly in the absence of any family member to accompany
    
    her, rendering such travel with minors practically impossible. In
    
    some matters, the petitioner-wife has asserted that she is
    
    financially dependent upon her parents, lacking any independent
    
    source of income. In some, it has been averred that they reside
    
    with   their     ailing    or     aged       parents,       who       require   constant
    
    supervision.
    
    5.     While in other matters, it has additionally been submitted
    
    that the petitioner-wife has already instituted proceedings against
    
    her husband under Section 12 of The Protection of Women from
    
    Domestic Violence Act, 2005/Offences under Indian Penal Code, at
    
    the place where she is presently residing. It is urged that, despite
    
    the pendency of these proceedings, the respondent-husband has
    
    instituted a separate case in another district/city/town only with
    
    the intent to cause harassment. In these circumstances, it would
    
    be extremely difficult and practically impossible for her to attend
    
    the proceedings before the Court chosen by the husband.
    
    
    
    
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    6.    Counsel for the respondents does not refute the above facts.
    
    However, in one of the petitions (in S.B. Civil Transfer Appl. No.
    
    230/2025), in alternate, Counsel submitted that the respondent
    
    be permitted to appear through virtual mode whenever his
    
    physical presence is not required for any specific purpose.
    
    7.    Heard the Counsels.
    
    8.    It is a well-settled proposition of law that in matrimonial
    
    matters generally, it is wife's convenience which must be looked at
    
    while considering the plea of transfer. In N.C.V. Aishwarya Vs.
    
    A.S. Saravana Karthik Sha, (2022 INSC 1310) (decided on
    
    18.07.2022), the Hon'ble Apex Court held as under:
    
          "9.The cardinal principle for exercise of power under
          Section 24 of the Code of Civil Procedure is that the
          ends of justice should demand the transfer of the suit,
          appeal or other proceeding. In matrimonial matters,
          wherever Courts are called upon to consider the plea
          of transfer, the Courts have to take into consideration
          the economic soundness of both the parties, the social
          strata of the spouses and their behavioural pattern,
          their standard of life prior to the marriage and
          subsequent thereto and the circumstances of both the
          parties in eking out their livelihood and under whose
          protective umbrella they are seeking their sustenance
          to life. Given the prevailing socio-economic
          paradigm in the Indian society, generally, it is
          the wife's convenience which must be looked at
          while considering transfer."
    
    
    9.    So far as the ground of the minor child/children being in the
    
    care and custody of the petitioner-wife is concerned, the Courts
    
    have consistently held that inconvenience is more on the part of
    
    the woman and she cannot be expected to travel long distances
    
    either while accompanying the minor or while leaving them in the
    
    care of others, to attend the proceedings regularly. Hon'ble the
    
    
    
    
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    Apex Court in the case of Reena Bahri v. Ajay Bahri, (2002)
    
    10 SCC 136 held as under:
    
          "2. The wife has a child, approximately three years
          old, with her in Bombay. She avers that she has no
          source of income and no one to travel with her from
          Bombay to Delhi. In the circumstances, she is unable
          to satisfactorily defend the divorce petition. It is
          contended on behalf of the husband that the transfer
          petition should be dismissed, and that he will pay for
          the wife's transport between Bombay and Delhi along
          with an escort, whenever required, as also pay for the
          travel of her witnesses in the matrimonial
          proceedings.
          3. This misses two points. The first relevant
          circumstance is that there is a very small child with
          the wife in Bombay and the second is that the wife
          does not have anybody who can conveniently
          accompany her to Delhi. Apart from this, as is shown
          by the counter, there are already proceedings in
          Bombay which the husband has to defend. We think,
          in the circumstances, that the transfer petition should
          be allowed."
    
    
    10.   With respect to the plea of financial constraints, the
    
    petitioner-wife having no independent source of income, and
    
    further, old/ailing parents under care, it has been observed in
    
    several decisions that compelling a woman with limited means to
    
    travel long distances on each date of hearing would result in
    
    undue hardship. Hon'ble the Apex Court in the case of Vaishali
    
    Shridhar Jagtap vs. Shridhar Vishwanath Jagtap, (2016
    
    INSC 504) held as under:-
    
    
          "3. According to the Appellant, her mother is aged
          and it is difficult for her mother to accompany the
          Appellant for her travel to Mumbai. It is also stated
          that there are three criminal cases-one for
          maintenance, the second under the Prevention of
          Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and the third Under
          Section 498A of The Indian Penal Code, 1860 and
          other related provisions, pending at Barshi, and one
          on the civil side for restitution.
          ...
    

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    5. Admittedly, the distance between Mumbai and
    Barshi is around 400 kilometres. Four cases between
    the parties are pending at Barshi. Apparently, the
    comparative hardship is more to the appellant-wife.
    This aspect of the matter, unfortunately, the High
    Court has missed to take note of.

    SPONSORED

    6. No doubt, the said evidence can be recorded on
    appearance of the petitioner either physically or by
    virtual mode but keeping in mind the over all
    situation and the facts and circumstances of the case,
    we consider it proper to transfer the subject-case as
    asked for by the petitioner-wife so that no prejudice
    is caused to the petitioner-wife.”

    11. Similar view was expressed by the Hon’ble Apex Court in

    Leena Mukherjee Vs. Rabi Shankar Mukherjee, (2002) 10

    SCC 480 :

    “The petitioner is a resident of Durgapur, District
    Burdwan, West Bengal. She states that she is a
    distressed woman without any financial resources and
    that with the meagre income which she gets by way
    of maintenance, it is not possible for her to travel
    from Durgapur to Delhi to prosecute the case. She
    also submits that there is nobody to accompany her
    to Delhi. The above fact is not traversed in the
    counter affidavit. Having regard to the circumstances,
    we think that it would be appropriate to order
    transfer of the matrimonial suit from the Court of the
    Additional District Judge, Delhi.”

    12. So far as the plea of long-distance travel and the resultant

    inconvenience to the petitioner-wife is concerned, Bombay High

    Court, recently, while allowing the transfer petition in the case of

    Archana Dattatray Jagtap vs Dattatray Chandev Jagtap,

    (2025 SCC OnLine Bom 3920), held as under:

    “6. Considering the law as laid down by the Supreme
    Court in the aforementioned judgments and the facts
    of the present case, where the distance between
    Malshiras, District Solapur, and Belapur is around 300
    kms, in my view, it is inconvenient for the wife to
    travel 300 kilometres to attend the hearing and then
    return the same day, travelling 300 kms. To do so,

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    she would have to stay overnight at Belapur to attend
    the proceedings filed by the husband. She has also
    filed three proceedings before the Court of Malshiras,
    District Solapur. Hence, I am convinced that the
    transfer application deserves to be allowed.”

    13. So far as the plea of respondent to appear through Video

    Conferencing is concerned, the Hon’ble Apex Court in the case of

    P. Prashanti Vs. P.V. Nandakumar, Transfer Petition (Civil)

    No. 1281/2024 (decided on 06.01.2025) while dealing with a

    similar circumstance, held as under:

    “3. Considering the fact that the petitioner-wife has
    two minor children, a boy and a girl to look after and
    that she is residing at Gurugram, Haryana, she has
    immense difficulty in attending court proceedings at
    Visakhapatnam, it would be expedient in the ends of
    justice to transfer the subject-case as asked for by
    the petitioner-wife.

    4. The Transfer Petition stands allowed accordingly.

    5. The Court where proceedings are pending shall
    transfer the records to the transferee Court promptly
    and without any delay.

    6. Liberty is granted to the respondent to appear
    through video conferencing, in view of his medical
    condition, until and unless his physical presence is
    absolutely necessary.”

    14. Section 24 of the Code of Civil Procedure reads as under:-

    “24. General power of transfer and withdrawal –

    (1) On the application of any of the parties and after
    notice to the parties and after hearing such of them
    as desired to be heard, or of its own motion without
    such notice, the High Court or the District Court may
    at any stage,-

    (a) transfer any suit, appeal or other proceeding
    pending before it for trial or disposal to any Court
    subordinate to it and competent to try or dispose of
    the same; or

    (b) withdraw any suit, appeal or other proceeding
    pending in any Court subordinate to it; and

    (i) try or dispose of the same; or

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    (ii) transfer the same for trial or disposal to any Court
    subordinate to it and competent to try or dispose of
    the same; or

    (iii) retransfer the same for trial or disposal to the
    Court from which it was withdrawn.
    (2) Where any suit or proceeding has been
    transferred or withdrawn under sub-section (1), the
    Court which [is thereafter to try or dispose of such
    suit or proceeding] may, subject to any special
    directions in the case of an order of transfer, either
    retry it or proceed from the point at which it was
    transferred or withdrawn.

    (3) For the purposes of this section,-

    (a) Courts of Additional and Assistant Judges shall be
    deemed to be subordinate to the District Court;

    (b) “proceeding” includes a proceeding for the
    execution of a decree or order.

    (4) The Court trying any suit transferred or withdrawn
    under this section from a Court of Small Causes shall,
    for the purposes of such suit, be deemed to be a
    Court of Small Causes.

    (5) A suit or proceeding may be transferred under this
    section from a Court which has no jurisdiction to try
    it.”

    15. This Court observes that, in the ordinary course, transfer

    petitions instituted before this Court often remain pending for

    considerable periods, primarily on account of the other party

    evading service. In several matters, interim protection granted by

    this Court results in the matrimonial proceedings before the

    concerned Court remaining stalled for years.

    16. In view of the aforesaid circumstances, and in order to

    secure the ends of justice as well as to ensure expeditious disposal

    of the proceedings, this Court considers it appropriate to exercise

    its powers under Section 24 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

    Accordingly, all the present transfer applications are allowed for

    the reasons analysed in the preceding paras.

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    17. Consequently, in each of the petitions noted hereinabove, the

    Court from which the case is being transferred and the Court to

    which it stands transferred are indicated as under:

    S. Civil Case Court where Court where
    Transfer Number the case is the case is
    No.
    Application (Family pending transferred
    Number & Court/Trial
    Title Court)

    1. CTA Case No. Family Court, Court of
    205/2025 181/2025 Hanumangarh Additional
    (Ghanshyam District &
    (Mamta
    Vs. Mamta Sessions
    Kumari Vs.
    Kumari
    ) Judge, Nohar
    Ghanshyam)

    2. CTA Case Family Court Family Court
    215/2025 No.314/2025 No.04, Jaipur No.1, Bikaner
    (CIS No. Metropolitan
    (Smt. Shweta
    1366/2025) First
    Sharma Vs.
    (Anuj
    Anuj
    Bhaskar Vs.
    Bhaskar)
    Smt. Shweta
    Tiwari)

    3. CTA Case Family Court Family Court
    230/2025 No.207/2025 No.01, No.1, Alwar
    (Sh. Nikhilesh Udaipur
    (Smt.
    Tayal Vs.
    Upasana Jain
    Smt. Upasana
    Vs. Sh.

    Jain)
    Nikhilesh
    Tayal)

    4. CTA Case Addl. District Addl. District
    309/2025 No.90/2020 & Sessions & Sessions
    (Hemant Judge No.2, Judge, Nohar,
    (Minaxi Vs.
    Prakash Rajgarh, Hanumangarh
    Hemant
    Bhanbhairu Churu
    Prakash
    Vs. Minaxi)
    Bhanbhairu)

    18. The transferor Court is directed to transmit entire record of

    the transferred matter to the transferee Court within a period of

    two weeks of receipt of the certified copy of the present order

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    while fixing the next date for appearance of both the parties

    before the transferee Court.

    19. Both the parties shall remain present before the transferee

    Court on the date as fixed by the transferor Court and the

    transferee Court shall not be under an obligation to issue fresh

    notices to any of the parties, as the present order is passed in

    presence of both the Counsels.

    20. Needless to observe that if any application is filed by the

    respondent-husband with a request to permit him to appear

    through Video Conferencing, the learned Court shall be at liberty

    to decide the same keeping into consideration the fact whether

    the physical appearance of the respondent is essential on the each

    date or not.

    21. Let a certified copy of the present order be sent forthwith to

    all the transferor as well as transferee Courts.

    22. Stay applications and all pending applications, if any, stand

    disposed of.

    (REKHA BORANA),J
    24, 25, 26, 27-KashishS/-

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