New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted divorce through mutual consent to a squabbling couple from Telangana after recording an undertaking that they would not slap any cases against each other in the future without permission from the top court.

A bench of Justices Kurien Joseph and M. Shantanagoudar passed the directive after Sudarsana Rao Gadde and Karuna Gadde# agreed to drop all cases they had filed against each other and their families in Telangana.

The couple gave their undertaking to the apex court through an agreement they reached after the bench appointed additional solicitor-general P.S. Narasimha to mediate between them.

"In Clause 2 (vi) of the Settlement, the parties have agreed on visitation and custody rights. In view of the long litigations between the parties they have prayed for a decree of divorce by mutual consent...," #the court said in a recent written order.

"Accordingly, the marriage... is dissolved by a decree of divorce by mutual consent under Section 10A of the Indian Divorce Act, 1869....

"We direct the parties to strictly abide by the terms of settlement. Now that the parties have settled their disputes, we do not think it necessary to relegate them to the respective courts where other litigations are pending between them as they have agreed to put an end to all the litigations.

"In terms of the settlement, we restrain the parties from instituting any fresh case against each other in respect of any dispute arising out of the settlement... without express permission from this court," the court said.