A Delhi court has allowed a couple, who got married after an online courtship, to process their divorce through the tech-friendly route of video-conferencing. The proposition may, however, run into legal hitches, considering past record.

“Vijay (name changed), a resident of New Jersey in the US, requested for video conferencing since the proceedings will be taking place here and it is difficult for him to be present at every hearing owing to time and financial constraints,” said the NRI’s lawyer, K K Jha.

The couple had got married in Delhi in 2001 and migrated to the US. The wife returned home shortly a year after, along with their child.

The idea to depose via video-conferencing during the divorce proceedings first hit Vijay, who found it a cost-effective way. Though his idea was whetted by a district court here, it may run into rough weather solely because of the unavailability of the required technology.

In a recent case of a child’s custody, Additional District Judge (ADJ) Kamini Lau had asked the MEA to arrange for recording the statement of a litigant settled in New York through video-conferencing, but she was “surprised” to get a reply that the Indian Consulate did not have the facility.

“It is rather surprising that in this era of technical advancement, the Indian High Commission and Consulates in various countries are not equipped with the facility of video-conferencing,” the ADJ had noted. Eventually, the ADJ had to concede to the MEA’s contention to allow the litigant to depose from any privately-owned premises under the supervision of Consulate officials.

Jha, however, remains positive that the court’s order to opt for video-conferencing would help a large number of NRIs settle their cases quickly and in a cost-effective way.

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