C.R. No.4769 of 2009 -1- IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH C.R. No.4769 of 2009 Date of Decision: 04.02.2010. Balwinder Thakur .......Petitioner Versus Pooja ......Respondent Coram: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE L. N. MITTAL. Present: Mr. K. S. Dadwal, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. H. K. Aurora, Advocate for the respondent. Parties also in person. L. N. MITTAL, J (ORAL) Balwinder Thakur-petitioner filed divorce petition against Pooja-respndent under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (in short, the Act). The said divorce petition was pending before learned Additional District Judge, Hoshiarpur. Respondent herein moved application under Section 24 of the Act claiming maintenance pendente lite and litigation expenses. Learned Additional District Judge, Hoshiarpur vide order dated 14.05.2009 (Annexure P-3) directed the petitioner to pay Rs.4000/- per month as maintenance pendente lite and Rs.5000/- as litigation expenses to the respondent. Feeling aggrieved, the petitioner-husband has filed the instant revision petition No.4769 of 2009 under Article 227 of the Constitution of India. Respondent-wife Pooja has also filed separate revision petition No.5496 of 2009 claiming enhancement of maintenance pendente lite. The cases were referred to Mediation and Conciliation Centre C.R. No.4769 of 2009 -2- functioning in this Court. With the efforts of Mediator, the parties arrived at settlement in the Mediation Centre vide settlement deed now marked as Annexure C. The parties on the preceding date of hearing also filed a joint petition under Section 13-B of the Act in this Court, after having withdrawn the divorce petition filed by petitioner against the respondent in the District Court. Joint statement of the parties has been recorded separately today. They have stated that they have effected settlement vide settlement deed Annexure C and two bank drafts of Rs.6,00,000/- each have been given to respondent, besides cash amount of Rs.25000/- towards cost of unrecovered dowry aritcles whereas other dowry articles have been taken by respondent from the house of the petitioner. The parties have stated that their marriage be dissolved by decree of divorce by mutual consent. In view of the aforesaid, the prayer is allowed and marriage between the parties is dissolved by decree of divorce by mutual consent under Section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The parties shall remain bound by the terms of settlement deed Annexure C. Respondent is left with no claim against the petitioner. As per settlement deed, respondent shall withdraw the criminal complaint, petition under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (in short, Cr.P.C) and execution application in the said petition under Section 125 Cr.P.C and respondent shall also get cancelled/quashed the FIR No.145 dated 20.08.2008 lodged by her in police station Mahalpur, Distt. Hoshiarpur. ( L. N. MITTAL ) JUDGE 04.02.2010. A.Kaundal