Sensitise people on pre-marital counselling: HC to Centre, TN

The Madras High Court today advised the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government to sensitise people on the importance of pre-marital counselling while annulling a couple's marriage in which the groom had suppressed from the bride's family that he suffered from ailments, including cancer.
Justice N Kirubakaran declared the marriage null and void on the ground of fraud by the groom in suppressing cancer and a hole in his heart even before marriage.
He underscored the importance of pre-marriage counselling to avoid such situations.
"It is appropriate for the central and state government to sensitise the people about the importance of pre-marital counselling at least, if not premarital examination," the judge said.

He said benefits of such counselling by medical experts should be disseminated to the people through advertisements in the media, short movies and by holding seminars in colleges, but wondered if that would be done.
Noting that under normal circumstances, the court would not have straightaway declared the marriage void, he said, "Technicalities are the handmaid of justice."

Justice Kirubakaran said transferring the proceedings to the trial court to face trial for many years and then to superior courts, would only cause grave injustice.
While the woman had sought divorce, the man had filed a plea for clubbing his restitution of conjugal rights petition along with the divorce petition.

The judge dismissed the man's plea and declared the marriage void.