Husband in ’fake’ divorce case speaks up

Executive alleges his wife is framing him for money. Wife insists she wants only justice

Husband in 'fake' divorce case speaks up

Executive alleges his wife is framing him for money. Wife insists she wants only justice

We have heard her story a 35-year-old school teacher duped into a 'divorce' by her husband of six years. We understand the anger when Gurpal Kaur, who alleges her husband Sarabjit Singh forged her signature to get a divorce, says, "Main jeete ji to talaq nahi dungi (I will never divorce him). He can accept his fraud in court or go to jail." But is there another side to the story?

Sarabjit, who works with Thyssenkrupp Elevators India Private Limited as a branch manager, insists he got legally separated from his wife in April 2008. He alleges that his wife Gurpal is trying to frame him because he refused to meet her demands for money.

He also refused to say anything about the lawyer, Ranjana Kaur, who allegedly represented the couple in court. "I don't know where she is. There could be more than 10 advocates with the same name," he said.

Gurpal has alleged that the lawyer was a party to Sarabjit's evil plot. "Sarabjit says the lawyer was hired by our mutual consent. But how can I do that when I never went to court in this regard?" Gurpal said.

Meanwhile, Gurpal says she knows she may have to wait for long but wants justice. "Earlier, I wanted to settle the matter mutually and expected him to return to me. But now I am determined to fight for justice," Gurpal said.

The story so far

Sarabjit with his son

Gurpal has alleged that her husband forged her signaturesu00a0 on the papers presented in the lower court that has declared her marriage null and void.

"It was the biggest shock for me and my family. Interestingly, we got to know about the divorce from my husband's friends. Later, while checking the divorce papers I found my signature and consent on them. But forensic examinations have proved that the signatures were forged. However, even after a year I don't know who impersonated me in the court during the hearings," said Gurpal.

She also said that her husband never told her the reasons behind his desire for a divorce. "He says he does not want to live with me. For the first five years of our marriage, everything was fine except my in-laws' temporary demand for dowry. But last year, he (Sarabjit Singh) said he had to shift to Mumbai because he had got a job there," she said.

But a few months later, Gurpal discovered her husband was living in Delhi. Though he kept meeting her and their five-year-old son at regular interval, he never disclosed that he had applied for a divorce. "Last year in September, I got to know that our divorce had taken place in April. I was surprised because he had stayed with me many times after April," said Gurpal.

Gurpal and her father.

Gurpal shifted back to her parent's place in Patiala after her husband allegedly threatened to kill her. "I decided to take legal help and filed a case in the Delhi High Court. The court was amazed to hear my story. On the first date of hearing, the court agreed that it's a serious case, which needs to be settled immediately and the case was sent back to the lower court which had approved the divorce," said Gurpal.

"The lower court has been trying to play safe. Though the judge did not say anything, he ordered a forensic examination of the signatures," said Gurpal's father Sukhdev
Singh.

Though, further hearings have been stalled till the court reopens after its annual summer holidays, Gurpal has been granted an immediate stay on the divorce.

Gurpal's lawyer Prem Kumar agrees. "This person (Sarabjit) has used the legal process to commit a grave fraud. The investigation is yet to be over but the fraud is clearly visible," Kumar said.
pics/rajeev Tyagi

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