CJI NV Ramana resolves family case through meditation, unites Andhra couple after 20 years

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, who has been making his mark since taking over as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, has recently unveiled a new tradition. It is worth mentioning the CJI's latest solution to a marital dispute that has brought the two together after talking to a couple who split up twenty years ago. There is widespread appreciation for his initiative. How he corrected them as a family elder has aroused interest in legal circles across the country.

Justice Ramana, who has repeatedly mentioned the importance of mediation in the judicial process in recent times, has shown it not only in his words but also practically. The couple reunited 20 years after the marriage. Moreover, while hearing, the CJI asked the petitioner to speak in either English or Hindi to which she denied stating she can't speak English. However, the justice asked to speak in Telugu and translated the same to fellow judge.

Going into details, Srinivasa Sharma, who is the Deputy Tehsildar of Guntur District Gurjala, was married in 1998 to a woman named Shanti and had a son in 1999. The couple separated in 2001 after a domestic dispute and Guntur Sixth Additional Munsiff Magistrate which heard the case filed by Shanti was sentenced Srinivas to one year in jail and fined Rs 1,000. The rest were acquitted.

The first appellate court in Guntur also upheld the sentence and with this revision, a petition was filed in the High Court once again. The court ruled to reduce the sentence. However, Shanti appealed to the Supreme Court challenging the verdict. The Supreme Court sent the case to the High Court Mediation Center in 2012 with the suggestion that the divorce between the spouses should not be granted and should be settled through mediation. However, there is no reconciliation and the case came before the Supreme Court again. The case came before Justice NV Ramana on February 18.

Although the couple has been separated since 2001, Srinivasa Sharma sends monthly maintenance to his wife and child. Referring to the matter, the lawyer told the court that if his sentence was increased and he was sent to jail, he would lose his job. Therefore, it would not be possible to send monthly payments to his wife and both parties would suffer.

The case has come up for hearing recently. The CJI told the lawyers that the dispute should be resolved with the consent of the husband and wife and summoned them to attend video conference hearing and spoke to both of them. Finally, on the initiative of the Chief Justice, the couple said that they would be together and that they would give an affidavit along with a promise not to quarrel over small matters. The couple agreed to stay together. With this, the CJI suggested withdrawing the case. The Chief Justice made key remarks on the occasion saying, "Do not quarrel over small things understand each other and live with each other."