N.C.V. AISHWARYAversusA.S. SARAVANA KARTHIK SHA

                        [2022] 6 S.C.R. 1085                              1085


                        N.C.V. AISHWARYA                                  A
                                  v.
                 A.S. SARAVANA KARTHIK SHA
                  (Civil Appeal No(s). 4894 of 2022)
                           JULY 18, 2022                                  B
       [S. ABDUL NAZEER AND J. K. MAHESHWARI]
       Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 – s.24 – Transfer – Power
u/s.24, exercise of – Matrimonial matters – Petition filed by
appellant-wife seeking transfer of a case for annulment of marriage
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filed by respondent-husband before Family Court, Vellore to the
Family Court, Chennai – Rejected – On appeal, held: Cardinal
principle for exercise of power u/s.24 is that the ends of justice
should demand the transfer of the suit, appeal or other proceeding
– Given the prevailing socio- economic paradigm in the Indian
society, generally, it is the wife’s convenience which must be looked     D
at while considering transfer – Further, when two or more
proceedings are pending in different Courts between the same parties
raising common question of fact and law, decisions in the cases
being interdependent, they should be tried together to avoid
multiplicity in trial of the same issues and conflict of decisions – In
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the present case, appellant, aged about 21 years stays alone with
her aged parents, it is difficult for her to travel all the way from
Chennai to Vellore to attend the case filed by the respondent – Also,
the appellant does not have any source of income of her own and is
dependent on her parents – Further, she has also filed petitions for
restitution of conjugal rights and maintenance before Family Court        F
at Chennai – Petition filed by husband before Family Court, Vellore
transferred to the Family Court at Chennai– All the three cases to
be clubbed together – Order passed by High Court set aside – Hindu
Marriage Act, 1955 – s.9 – Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 –
s.125.
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      Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 – s.24 – Transfer – Matrimonial
matters – Factors to be considered – Held: In matrimonial matters,
while considering the plea of transfer, the Courts have to take into
consideration the economic soundness of both the parties, social
strata of the spouses, their behavioural pattern, standard of life
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                                1085
1086            SUPREME COURT REPORTS                          [2022] 6 S.C.R.


 A     prior and subsequent to marriage, circumstances of both the parties
       in eking out their livelihood and under whose protective umbrella
       they are seeking their sustenance to life.
             CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 4894
       of 2022.
 B           From the Judgment and Order dated 19.11.2020 of the High Court
       of Judicature at Madras in TR.C.M.P. No.473 of 2020.
             S, Gowthaman, Abhisar Thakral, S. Muthukrishnan, Ms. Hemlata,
       Advs. for the Appellant.

 C           Haripriya Padmanabhan, Prahu Ramasubramanian, Raghunatha
       Sethupathy B., Shivani Vij, K. Paari Vendhan, Advs. for the Respondent.
             The following Order of the Court was passed:
                                     ORDER
             1. Leave granted.
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              2. This appeal is directed against the Order dated 19.11.2020 in
       TR.C.M.P. No.473 of 2020 whereby the High Court of Judicature at
       Madras has rejected the petition filed by the appellant-wife seeking
       transfer of a petition, F.C.O.P. No.125 of 2020 filed by her respondent-
       husband before the Family Court, Vellore, to the Family Court at Chennai.
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              3. The marriage between the appellant and the respondent was
       arranged and solemnized on 05.03.2020 at Kanna Mahal, Anna Salai,
       Vellore, in accordance with Hindu rituals and customs. It is the case of
       the respondent that the appellant started quarreling and fighting with the
       respondent for petty things and refused to consummate the marriage.
 F     The respondent filed the aforesaid F.C.O.P. No.125 of 2020 before the
       Family Court, Vellore, for annulment of their marriage.
              4. The appellant is a resident of Chennai. She has also filed two
       cases. H.M.O.P. No.1741 of 2021 has been filed by her before the
       Family Court at Chennai against her husband for restitution of conjugal
 G     rights under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and M.C. Sr.
       No.672 of 2021 before the Family Court at Chennai for maintenance
       under Section 125 of the Cr.P.C.
             5. The appellant in her petition filed under Section 9 of the Hindu
       Marriage Act has contended amongst others that without any reasonable
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    N.C.V. AISHWARYA v. A.S. SARAVANA KARTHIK SHA                                1087


excuse, the respondent withdrew from her society and that the                    A
respondent is bound to live with the appellant and give her conjugal
companionship.
       6. The appellant filed a petition under Section 24 of the Code of
Civil Procedure before the High Court of Judicature at Madras for
transfer of F.C.O.P. No.125 of 2020 pending on the file of the Family            B
Court, Vellore to the Family Court at Chennai. According to the appellant,
her parents are old and that she is aged 21 years and not in a position to
travel to Vellore through out the court proceedings without having any
support. In addition, the appellant contends that it would not be possible
for her aged parents to accompany her to Vellore. She is totally dependent
on her parents morally and financially. She is not employed and does not         C
have any other source of income. Moreover, she does not have any
accommodation for staying at Vellore. The respondent has opposed the
said petition. As noticed above, the High Court has dismissed the transfer
petition.
       7. We have heard learned counsel for the parties.                         D

       8. It is not disputed that the appellant is the resident of Chennai
and that the appellant’s husband-respondent herein is the resident of
Vellore and he is employed. The appellant who is 21 years old does not
have any source of income of her own as she is not employed and is
totally dependent on her parents for her livelihood. In order to attend the      E
court proceedings of the case filed by her husband at Vellore she has to
travel alone all the way from Chennai to Vellore as her parents are not in
a position to accompany her on account of their old age. Secondly, the
appellant has also filed a petition, H.M.O.P. No.1741 of 2021, for restitution
of conjugal rights and another petition, M.C. Sr. No.672 of 2021, for her        F
maintenance before the Family Court at Chennai.
       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            G
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
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1088              SUPREME COURT REPORTS                          [2022] 6 S.C.R.


 A     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.
             10. Further, when two or more proceedings are pending in different
       Courts between the same parties which raise common question of fact
 B     and law, and when the decisions in the cases are interdependent, it is
       desirable that they should be tried together by the same Judge so as to
       avoid multiplicity in trial of the same issues and conflict of decisions.
              11. As noticed above, the appellant is a young lady aged about 21
       years, staying alone along with her aged parents. Under the above
 C     circumstances, it is difficult for her to travel all the way from Chennai to
       Vellore to attend the court proceedings of the case filed by the respondent
       seeking annulment of marriage. Further, it is also just and proper to club
       all the three cases together to avoid multiplicity of the proceedings and
       conflict of decisions. Therefore, the High Court was not justified in
       rejecting transfer petition bearing TR.C.M.P.No.473 of 2020, filed by
 D     the appellant herein.
              12. Resultantly, the appeal succeeds and is accordingly allowed.
       The Order dated 19.11.2020 passed by the High Court in TR.C.M.P.
       NO.473 of 2020 is set aside. We direct transfer of F.C.O.P. No.125 of
       2020 pending consideration before the Family Court, Vellore to the
 E     jurisdictional Family Court at Chennai. We also direct the clubbing of the
       aforementioned three cases so that a common order may be passed by
       the concerned Family Court at Chennai.
              13. We direct the parties to bear their respective costs.

 F            14. Pending application, if any, also stands disposed of.

       Divya Pandey                                                  Appeal allowed.
       (Assisted by: Roopanshi Virang, LCRA)



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