VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has granted divorce to a couple who had been living separately for over 27 years, stating that enforcing the mandatory six-month cooling-off period would only prolong their suffering. A division bench of Justice Ravinath Tilahari and Justice Mandava Kiranmayi delivered the verdict, allowing divorce by mutual consent under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act. The court converted the original petition, filed under Section 13(1)(i-a) citing cruelty, into a mutual consent plea, noting that the marriage had irretrievably broken down.
The case dates back to 2000, when Ramesh from Hyderabad filed for divorce in the Vijayawada Family Court, alleging mental cruelty by his wife Anitha. She, in turn, accused him of an extramarital affair but expressed willingness to continue the marriage. Married in 1996, the couple separated in 1997. After the family court dismissed the petition, Ramesh appealed to the High Court in 2007. During the appeal, both parties submitted a joint memo to dissolve the marriage amicably. The High Court granted divorce, waiving the cooling-off period.