Court to which petition shall be presented
Full Text
Every petition under this Act shall be presented to the district court within the local limits of whose ordinary original civil jurisdiction:—
(i) the marriage was solemnized, or
(ii) the respondent, at the time of the presentation of the petition, resides, or
(iii) the parties to the marriage last resided together, or
(iiia) in case the wife is the petitioner, where she is residing on the date of presentation of the petition, or
(iv) the petitioner is residing at the time of the presentation of the petition, in a case where the respondent is at that time, residing outside the territories to which this Act extends, or has not been heard of as being alive for a period of seven years or more by those persons who would naturally have heard of him if he were alive.
Plain English Summary
Determines territorial jurisdiction of the family/district court where matrimonial petitions can be filed, giving special standing to wives to file where they currently reside.
Key Legal Elements
- Place of solemnization of marriage
- Place where the respondent resides at the time of presenting the petition
- Place where the parties last resided together
- Place where the wife currently resides (if she is the petitioner)
- Place where petitioner resides if respondent is outside India or missing for 7+ years
Practical Note
Clause (iiia) (inserted in 2003) is heavily relied upon by women litigants to initiate proceedings at their parental or current residence. In transfer petitions under Section 25 CPC, the Supreme Court almost invariably favors the wife's convenience based on this statutory intent.
हिंदी पाठ
इस अधिनियम के अधीन प्रत्येक अर्जी ऐसे जिला न्यायालय में प्रस्तुत की जाएगी जिसकी मामूली आरंभिक सिविल अधिकारिता की स्थानीय सीमाओं के भीतर:—
(i) विवाह अनुष्ठापित हुआ था, या
(ii) प्रत्यर्थी, अर्जी प्रस्तुत किए जाने के समय निवास करता है, या
(iii) विवाह के पक्षकारों ने अंतिम बार एक साथ निवास किया था, या
(iiia) उस दशा में जहां पत्नी अर्जीदार है, जहां वह अर्जी प्रस्तुत किए जाने की तारीख को निवास कर रही है, या
(iv) अर्जीदार अर्जी प्रस्तुत करने के समय निवास कर रहा है, ऐसे मामले में जहां प्रत्यर्थी उस समय उन राज्यक्षेत्रों के बाहर निवास कर रहा है जिन पर इस अधिनियम का विस्तार है, अथवा उसके जीवित होने के बारे में सात वर्ष या उससे अधिक की कालावधि तक उन व्यक्तियों द्वारा नहीं सुना गया है जो उसके जीवित होने पर स्वाभाविक रूप से सुनते।