Devinder Singh Narula vs Meenakshi Nangia

The Supreme Court held that under Section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the cooling-off period of six months can be considered fulfilled if the parties have been living separately for over a year and have mutually agreed to dissolve the marriage. The Court invoked Article 142 of the Constitution to grant a decree of divorce, emphasizing that technicalities should not obstruct substantive justice. The appeal was allowed, and the order of the Additional District Judge was set aside, permitting the dissolution of marriage by mutual consent.