'Thank you' card from 10-year-old finds its way into SC judgment putting an end to long-standing marital dispute

Court judgments are generally associated with drab language and liberal usage of incomprehensible Latin terms. However, a 10-year-old boy managed to add a dash of colour to a recent Supreme Court ruling in a family dispute with his thank you note. A bench of Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice M Shantanagouder added his note, expressing his joy on the settlement of all the disputes between his mother and father, as part of their judgment. [caption id=“attachment_4385473” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Screenshot of the card in the judgment[/caption] After the apex court granted a divorce to Anu Bhandari and Pradip Bhandari, their son Vibhu thanked the court in a hand-written card. It reads, “God always has something for you. A key for every problem, a light for every shadow, a relief for every sorrow and a plan for every tomorrow.” The card was added in the judgment, which reads: “This is the rich encomium paid to the Court by Master Vibhu, the ten year old son of the appellant and respondent. The little one present in Court today is exuberantly happy and sought liberty to present a handmade card expressing his joy on the settlement of all the disputes and litigations between his mother and father.” The court referred to the child’s note as proof of how every court has “a duty to make an endeavour to assist and persuade the parties in arriving at a settlement in a speedy manner to prevent sporadic litigations,” Justice Kurian was quoted as saying by The Hindu. According to the judgment, the couple’s marriage was solemnised in 1997 and they have two children – Bhuvi and Vibhu. The couple has, however, been living separately since March 2011 on account of marital discord and temperamental differences. The estranged husband and wife, according to the judgment, were involved in various litigations, civil as well as criminal. Efforts to settle the dispute were not fully fruitful and the court noted that both the parties have now reached an amicable settlement. The court, therefore, quashed seven pending cases, dismissed another six while seven other cases were disposed of as per the terms of the settlement. The apex court went on to dissolve the marriage between Anu Bhandari and Pradip Bhandari by mutual consent. Here is the judgment: