Patna civil court

Patna, May 4: Savitri Devi (name changed) has been struggling for over a decade to get a divorce. Justice, however, has eluded her and others at the family courts owing to absence of judges and other legal impediments.

The two family courts in the capital are flooded with matrimony-related complaints. Sources said five to six cases are filed on a daily average.

Savitri and her 15-year-old daughter survive on a paltry maintenance of Rs 2,500 per month from the court. She had applied for divorce in 2000.

Similar is the case of Sunita Kumari (name changed), wife of a businessman, who has been waiting for justice for her 10-year-old son and herself for the past 15 years. She had filed a divorce petition in the family court in 1995. She gets Rs 2,000 as maintenance.

According to the complaint filed by Savitri, she was assaulted by her husband at his Biharsharif residence and even sent to jail for three days. A complaint was lodged against Ravinder but no action was allegedly taken.

“I want all cases pending against Kumar to be transferred to Patna for speedy disposal. I am finding it difficult to continue my daughter’s education, who studies in Class IX,” she said. Savitri said in 13 years, she has learnt a few things about the legal procedures. “Now, I file petitions on my own and even plead my case,” she said.

Vouching for her everyday struggle, Bitu Sao, a tea-stall owner, said: “I have been watching her for the past 13 years. She appears before the court on the scheduled dates in the morning and leaves at evening.”

Sunita, however, has stopped visiting the court out of disgust of the slow progress in her case. “I am unable to bear the expenses of my counsel, who demands fee for making pairvi (plea). How can I survive with my son on Rs 2,000?”

Patna civil court senior advocate Prem Kumar Verma said the disposal rate of such complaints at the two courts is very slow, leading to piling up of the cases.

Verma added: “Earlier, there was only one court. Later, an additional court was opened. But most of the time, proceedings remain stalled in absence of the judge concerned.”