Divorce through Skype

Hyderabad, Nov 23: Divorce through Skype. That too in Khammam district of Telangana. In a believe it or not development, a court in Khammam granted divorce to a US-based couple after hearing the woman petitioner over Internet video calling facility Skype. According to sources, Senior Civil Judge of Khammam M Venkata Ramana used Skype to hear the woman who was living in the US before granting divorce. The judge took inspiration from a recent judgement of Hyderabad High Court before passing his judgement. Counsel for the woman, Basava Punnaiah, said his client had appealed to the Khammam court to grant her divorce from her husband Kiran Kumar. Basava Punnaiah said his client, who has been residing in the US for the past two years, was unable to attend the court hearing scheduled for Saturday. Basava Punnaiah said, "First the Judge asked my client to identify her father and her husband (now ex-husband) through Skype. After she did, he asked the final opinion about the divorce for which she said she wanted. Based on that, the judge granted divorce." The Counsel said his client and Kiran Kumar were married in 2012. Soon after that differences cropped up between them, she said. Kiran had filed 'Nullity of Marriage' petition in the court. Later, the woman filed a petition under IPC Section 498 (A) (domestic violence). The woman then moved to the US to pursue higher studies and later both the families came to an understanding. The couple filed a divorce with mutual consent petition in the court, the counsel said.