The Supreme Court recently observed in an order that a daughter who expects her father to support her education must also play a role as a daughter (Ajay Kumar Rathee v. Seema Rathee)..The Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh held the same while dealing with a case where a couple got married and had a daughter. Soon thereafter, the wife went to her parental house along with the daughter and resided there..The husband filed a plea for restitution of conjugal rights, which was dismissed. He subsequently filed a plea seeking dissolution of marriage before the district judge. The plea was allowed on the ground of desertion and thereafter challenged before the Punjab & Haryana High Court by the wife. The High Court set aside the lower court order, prompting the husband to approach the Supreme Court in appeal..With the divorce plea pending and attempts of reconciliation being made before the Supreme Court Mediation Centre, the Bench had earlier directed the father to pay the education expenses of the 20-year-old daughter. The Bench was informed on Tuesday that mediation between the parties had failed.Senior Advocate Nidhesh Gupta, representing the husband, submitted that the daughter had refused to meet the father. If she expects her father to take care of her education and marriage expenses, then it cannot be a one-way street, he said."She does not even see him on video calls My Lord," submitted Gupta. .To this, the Court observed,"Daughter must also appreciate that if she is expecting the father/appellant to support her education, she will also have to play a role as a daughter.".After the counsel for the parties agreed to make another attempt at mediation, the Court directed for the matter to be placed again before the Supreme Court Mediation Centre. The mediator has now been directed to make arrangements for exclusive interaction between the father and the daughter. .[Read Order]
