The Delhi High Court had in March restricted its function in view of the coronavirus pandemic. (File)
Accepting a woman's request to schedule the virtual hearing in her marital dispute and guardianship case after her children's online classes are over, the Delhi High Court has directed the trial court to post the matter after lunch.
The High Court accepted the woman's submission that the electronic gadget used for the virtual hearing would be in use by her children to attend school, and directed the trial court to adjust the timing of the hearing accordingly.
"The trial court shall take due cognisance of the submission of the respondent (woman) and appropriately try and adjust the time for hearing of the petitions," Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said accepting the request.
The Delhi High Court was hearing a man's plea seeking a direction to the trial court concerned to take up the petition filed under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act for restitution of conjugal rights through video conferencing along with his guardianship petition.
The woman gave no objection to the virtual hearing, but sought that the hearing should be rescheduled.
The unusual request came in the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic which has forced suspension of many daily activities across the world.
In India, all schools remain shut since March as classes continue online till such time as the government does not declare it safe for children to go return to schools. Pressed by the need for physical distancing, courts are also hearings matters online except for certain important cases, for which the hearing is done in person.
India, with more than 23 lakh cases and 60,963 new infections, is the third worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic after the United States and Brazil. Over the last three days, it has been recording more cases in a day that both the countries with a higher caseload.