Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:112025 Court No. - 9 Case :- MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 6913 of 2025 Petitioner :- Sanjay Malik Respondent :- Smt. Priya Malik Counsel for Petitioner :- Anurag Sharma,Ashutosh Nath Sahai Hon'ble Manish Kumar Nigam,J. 1. Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record. 2. The writ petition has been filed seeking following relief :- "Issue a direction directing the learned, Additional, Principal Family Judge, Meerut to decide the Matrimonial Case No. 1564 of 2024 (Sanjay Malik Vs. Smt. Priya Malik) filed under Section 13 of Hindu Marriage Act, within the stipulated period of three months pending in the court of learned Additional Principal Judge, Family Court No. 1, Meerut." 3. Contention of learned counsel for the petitioner is that the proceedings of Matrimonial Case No. 1564 of 2024 (Sanjay Malik Vs. Smt. Priya Malik) under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act are pending since 05.01.2022. It has been further contended by learned counsel for the petitioner that appropriate directions be issued to the Additional, Principal Family Judge, Meerut seized with the proceedings of divorce u/s 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act to decide the same within a stipulated time or in a time frame as may be fixed by this Court. 4. 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. 5. 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." 6. 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. 7. The Additional, Principal Family Judge, Meerut, 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. 8. With these observation, this petition is disposed of. Order Date :- 14.7.2025 Ved Prakash (Manish Kumar Nigam,J.) Digitally signed by :- VED PRAKASH SHARMA High Court of Judicature at Allahabad