Supreme Court summons Shinde’s daughter, estranged husband

NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Thursday asked union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s daughter Smriti Shinde and her estranged husband to appear before it in person Aug 9 to explore the possibility of a reconciliation.

Smriti has challenged the provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act that prevents divorce on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown of marriage.

Smriti has also challenged the provision of the act that necessitates the couple to give their consent twice. In this case, Smriti’s husband, Sanjay Pahariya, gave his consent for mutual divorce in the first instance but later he allegedly backed out.

An apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly called the estranged couple to explore the possibility of a reconciliation.

Appearing for the petitioner Smriti, the senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi said there was a marital discord between his client and her husband for the last five years and they were living separately since then. He told the court that the husband has refused to sign the consent paper. The senior counsel said the provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act were under challenge by his client.

The counsel for the estranged husband told the court that there were certain differences between the couple but they were never acrimonious. He said that chances of reconciliation were not “beyond the realm of possibility”.

Rohtagi told the court that they were married 17 years ago and were now living separately. He told the court that he had spoken to Smriti Wednesday and she told him there was no scope of reconciliation with her husband.

Excluding the possibility of any reconciliation, Rohtagi said the husband had signed the mutual consent divorce paper the first time but backed out the second time. Smriti’s husband lives in America with their two children.