Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:100761 Court No. - 9 Case :- MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 3922 of 2025 Petitioner :- Varinder Kaur Bhatti Respondent :- Harpreet Singh Counsel for Petitioner :- Mohd. Kamar Shah Alam Hon'ble Manish Kumar Nigam,J. 1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and perused the record. 2. The writ petition has been filed seeking following relief :- "Issue a direction to learned Principal Judge, Family Court Rampur to decide the Hindu Marriage Petition No. 140 of 2024 (Varinder Kaur Bhatti vs. Harpreet Singh), pending before him, within the time stipulated by this Hon'ble Court." 3. The parties have taken out the proceedings under Section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 for grant of a divorce by mutual consent which came to be registered as Petition No. 140 of 2024 (Varinder Kaur Bhatti v. Harpreet Singh). 4. Contention of learned counsel for the petitioner is that the aforesaid proceedings are pending since 2024 and more than one year has been passed but the same has not been decided yet. It has been further contended by learned counsel for the petitioner that appropriate directions be issued to the Principal Judge, Family Court Rampur to decide the same within a stipulated time or in a time frame as may be fixed by this Court. 5. Learned counsel for the petitioner brought attention of the Court to the provision of Section 21-B of the Hindu Marriage Act which contemplates to conclude the trial within six months from the date of service of notice of petition on the respondents. 6. Section 21-B of the Hindu Marriage Act is quoted as under: "21-B. Special provision relating to trial and disposal of petitions under the Act.-(1) The trial of a petition under this Act shall, so far as is practicable consistently with the interest of justice in respect of the trial, be continued from day to day until its conclusion unless the Court finds the adjournment of the trial beyond the following day to be necessary for reasons to be recorded. (2) Every petition under this Act shall be tried as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made to conclude the trial within six months from the date of service of notice of the petition on the respondent. (3) Every appeal under this Act shall be tried as expeditiously as possible, and endeavour shall be made to conclude the hearing within three months from the date of service of notice of appeal on the respondent." 7. In view of the statutory requirement as contemplated under Section 21-B of the Hindu Marriage Act, no useful purpose would be served in keeping this petition pending. 8. The Principal Judge, Family Court, Rampur is directed to consider and decide the aforesaid pending proceeding before him, in accordance with law, expeditiously, after giving opportunity of hearing to the parties concerned as well as opportunity to lead evidence in support of their case and without granting unnecessary adjournments to either of the parties provided that there is no other legal impediment, keeping in view the statutory mandate of Section 21-B of the Hindu Marriage Act quoted above. 9. With these observation, this petition is disposed of. Order Date :- 1.7.2025 Ved Prakash (Manish Kumar Nigam,J.) Digitally signed by :- VED PRAKASH SHARMA High Court of Judicature at Allahabad