The Supreme Court dissolved the marriage between IPS officer Shivangi Bansal (also known as Shivangi Goel) and her estranged husband Sahib Bansal. The IPS officer has publically apologised for misusing Section 498A.
The court exercised its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to not only grant the divorce but also quash over 30 civil and criminal cases filed by and against both parties and their families.
The judgment, delivered by a Bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, brings an end to nearly seven years of acrimonious litigation, which spanned courts across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and even reached the apex court. The couple, married in December 2015 and parents to a minor daughter, had been living separately since October 2018.
Custody and Visitation Settled
The court ordered that the custody of the minor daughter, Raina, shall remain with the mother, Shivangi Bansal. However, the father and his family were granted supervised visitation rights, with monthly meetings at the child’s school and shared custody during vacation periods. Any visitation disputes are to be mediated through designated counsels of both parties.
No Maintenance or Alimony
In a major concession, Shivangi Bansal waived all claims to alimony and maintenance for herself and her daughter. Consequently, the earlier Allahabad High Court order directing a monthly maintenance of ₹1.5 lakh for the child was quashed.
Apology to Be Published
The court also directed Shivangi Bansal and her parents to issue an unconditional apology to the Bansal family. The apology is to be published within three days in one national English and one Hindi newspaper, as well as across all major social media platforms. The text of the apology has been mandated by the court and includes a message of regret, a call for peace, and best wishes to the Bansal family.
Property Transfer Mandated
The court ordered Shivangi’s mother, Sandhya Goel, to transfer land in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, to Sahib Bansal via a gift deed. Although the property is subject to ongoing litigation, Sahib Bansal has agreed to bear all future legal costs. Certified property documents are to be handed over within seven days, and police protection has been ordered for the husband and his family.
Gag on Future Litigation and Social Media Content
Both parties have been strictly barred from initiating any new legal proceedings against each other or their families in the future. All previous complaints, FIRs, and civil suits — including domestic violence, dowry, defamation, and custody matters — stand quashed. Any violation will be treated as contempt of court.
Additionally, both parties are required to delete any negative content or allegations made on social media platforms. Neither party is permitted to publicly discuss or disparage the other in any form going forward.
Judgment Marks Final Closure
Describing the decision as a means to “secure complete justice,” the Supreme Court ordered immediate implementation of all settlement terms. It also expunged adverse remarks against Shivangi Bansal from a prior Allahabad High Court ruling and affirmed that all guidelines issued for the misuse of Section 498A IPC shall remain in force.
The matter was argued by Senior Advocates Sidharth Luthra for the wife and Vikas Singh for the husband. The detailed judgment provides a rare but robust framework for out-of-court settlements involving high-profile matrimonial disputes.
Mr. Vikas Singh, Sr. Advocate, President, Supreme Court Bar Association, and Former Additional Solicitor General of India said, “The Hon’ble Supreme Court, through this judgment, has acknowledged the misuse of the 498A jurisdiction and the filing of false cases by wives against husbands and their family members. In this case, the Court has set a precedent by taking extreme steps, including directing the publication of an apology in the national editions of widely circulated newspapers (both Hindi and English), quashing all the petitions, and granting police protection to the husband and his family. These steps are significant and, in my opinion, are intended to deter the registration of false cases in the future. Additionally, the Court has upheld the Allahabad High Court guideline, which stipulates a two-month moratorium on arrests, further reinforcing the view that this jurisdiction should not be misused.”
Case Details
Case Title: Shivangi Bansal Versus Sahib Bansal
Case No.: Transfer Petition (C) No. 2367 Of 2023
Date: July 22, 2025
Counsel For Petitioner: Senior Advocates Sidharth Luthra
Counsel For Respondent: Vikas Singh
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