New Delhi: The Supreme Court bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice S.V.N. Bhatti has stayed proceedings under the Domestic Violence Act pending before the JMFC Court in Maharashtra, filed by Pavitra against her husband Kaarthic.
Advocate Surabhi (Godbole) Naidu, assisting Senior Counsel Huzefa A. Ahmadi, told the court in a Special Leave Petition that Kaarthic and Pavitra were married in 2018 in Coimbatore and have been living in the United States since then. Pavitra works with Apple, while Kaarthic is employed at Facebook. The couple has a son born and raised in the U.S.
The petitioner argued that Pavitra had initially filed a domestic violence complaint in the Superior Court of California but withdrew it, later initiating fresh proceedings in Maharashtra using her father’s address as residence. Kaarthic challenged the jurisdiction under Section 27 of the Domestic Violence Act, which allows cases to be filed where the aggrieved party or respondent resides, works, or where the cause of action arises.
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08 Aug 2025
It was submitted that Pavitra owns a home in San Jose, USA, earns approximately ₹35 lakh per month, holds Canadian permanent residency, and is in the process of obtaining a U.S. Green Card. The petitioner claimed no cause of action had arisen in India, and the Maharashtra proceedings were filed with the intention of harassing him and his family.
Both the JMFC Court and the High Court had dismissed Kaarthic’s challenge before he approached the Supreme Court. After hearing arguments, the apex court granted a stay on the Maharashtra proceedings.
Advocate Surabhi (Godbole) Naidu assisted Senior Counsel Huzefa A. Ahmadi with Advocate-on-Record Anagha Desai and Advocate Satyajeet Desai, representing the petitioner husband.
