The Delhi High Court in March restricted its functions due to the coronavirus pandemic. (File)
New Delhi:
Accepting a woman’s request to schedule the virtual hearing in her marriage dispute and guardianship case after her children’s online classes ended, the Delhi High Court ordered the trial court to post the deal after lunch.
The High Court accepted the woman’s argument that the electronic gadget used for the virtual hearing would be used by her children to go to school and ordered the lower court to adjust the timing of the hearing Consequently.
“The court of first instance will take due notice of the submission of the defendant (the woman) and will attempt to adjust the time for hearing petitions in an appropriate manner,” Judge Sanjeev Sachdeva said, accepting the request.
Delhi High Court heard plea from a man seeking an instruction from the relevant trial court to deal with the petition filed under section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act for the restitution of marital rights by videoconference with his request for guardianship.
The woman did not object to the virtual hearing, but requested that the hearing be postponed.
The unusual request came against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic which has forced the suspension of many daily activities across the world.
In India, all schools have remained closed since March as classes continue online until the government does not declare children to return to school safely. Pressed by the need for physical distancing, courts also hear cases online with the exception of some important cases, where the hearing is in person.
India, with more than 23 lakh cases and 60,963 new infections, is the third country most affected by the coronavirus pandemic after the United States and Brazil. In the past three days, it has registered more cases in one day than the two countries with a higher caseload.
