Case Details

• Transfer Petition (Criminal) No.: 500/2025

• Diary No.: 22043/2025

• Court: Supreme Court of India (Court No. 3, Section II-C)

• Bench: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Manmohan (Partial Court Working Days Bench)

• Type of Petition: Transfer Petition (Criminal) seeking transfer of a maintenance case.

• Pending Case: Maintenance Petition (File No. 396 of 2024, Almas Ara vs. Asloob Ahmad) before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kulgam, Kashmir.

Key Proceedings

1. Hearing Date: 11-Jun-2025

2. Appearances:
   Petitioner (Almas Ara):
   AOR Mr. Yashasvi Virendra
   Advocates Ms. Nandini Chhabra, Mrs. Neha Ambashtha, Mrs. Pooja Chand Dwivedi, Ms. Nidhi Khandelwal, and Mr. Anany V Mishra.
   Respondent (Asloob Ahmad): Not represented in this hearing.

3. Interim Application Filed:
   IA No. 142888/2025: Ex-parte stay of proceedings in the maintenance case.

4. Court’s Order:
   Notice Issued: The Supreme Court directed the issuance of notice to the respondent, returnable within eight weeks.
   Interim Stay: Proceedings in the maintenance case (File No. 396 of 2024) pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kulgam, were stayed until further orders.

Judgment Research Format

1. Case Citation

Almas Ara vs. Asloob Ahmad, Transfer Petition (Criminal) No. 500/2025 (Supreme Court of India, Order dated 11-Jun-2025).

2. Issues Raised

• Whether the maintenance proceedings pending in Kulgam, Kashmir, should be transferred to another jurisdiction (grounds not specified in the order).

• Whether an ex-parte stay on the maintenance proceedings is warranted (IA No. 142888/2025).

3. Court’s Direction

• Notice to Respondent: The respondent must respond within eight weeks.

• Interim Relief: Stay on the maintenance proceedings in Kulgam until further notice.

4. Next Steps

• Compliance with the notice by the respondent by 06-Aug-2025.

• Further hearing likely to address the transfer petition’s merits after the respondent’s reply.

5. Legal Significance

• The order highlights the Supreme Court’s authority to stay lower court proceedings during the pendency of transfer petitions.

• The ex-parte stay suggests the petitioner presented urgent grounds (e.g., jurisdictional inconvenience, safety concerns) warranting immediate relief.

Conclusion

The Supreme Court’s interim order prioritizes judicial efficiency and fairness by halting the maintenance case in Kulgam until the respondent is heard. The case will proceed after the respondent’s reply or the expiry of the eight-week notice period.