In a brief but notable hearing at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma allowed a woman’s plea seeking transfer of her matrimonial case from Karnal to New Delhi. The judge listened only to the petitioner’s side, as the husband, though served the notice earlier, did not appear or send any legal representative.
Background
The case involves petitioner Aditi Bhatia, who asked the court to shift her husband Deepanshu Goel’s divorce petition (filed under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act) from the Family Court in Karnal, Haryana, to the Family Court at Saket, South-East Delhi.
Her counsel argued that she currently resides in Delhi and traveling to Karnal for every hearing causes “considerable physical, emotional, and financial strain.” Such requests are not uncommon, especially in matrimonial disputes where one party-usually the wife-seeks transfer due to convenience and safety concerns.
Court’s Observations
The bench checked the case record and noted that the husband had already been served notice on 8 September 2025, yet there had been no appearance from his side.
“The bench observed, ‘Since the respondent has chosen not to appear despite service, the matter has proceeded based on the submissions of the petitioner.’”
Justice Sharma also acknowledged the general principle that courts often lean towards ensuring convenience for the wife when deciding transfer petitions in matrimonial matters, unless there are strong reasons to deny it.
There was no counter-argument presented to challenge the petitioner’s claims, and the Court found her reasoning consistent and supported by the record.
Decision
The Court allowed the transfer petition.
The divorce case HMA/730/2024, titled “Deepanshu Goel vs. Aditi Bhatia”, is now transferred from the Court of the Principal Judge, Family Court, Karnal, to the Family Court, Saket Court (South-East), New Delhi.
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The Court has directed both parties to appear before the Saket Family Court on 10 November 2025, where the proceedings will resume afresh. It also instructed that the Saket Court must issue a fresh notice to the husband, since he had not appeared before the Supreme Court.
The matter concludes at this stage with the transfer order.
Case Title: Aditi Bhatia v. Deepanshu Goel
Case Type: Transfer Petition (Civil)
Court: Supreme Court of India
Bench: Justice Satish Chandra Sharma
Jurisdiction: Civil Original Jurisdiction
Transfer Petition No.: 1166/2025
Next Appearance Date: 10.11.2025
