Former sheriff asks judge to scrap ‘quickie’ divorce

Raj Jandoo, 60, Scotland’s first Asian advocate, said he returned home from a holiday in India in 2016 to find his wife, Nerinder Kaur, had been granted a divorce.

Mr Jandoo has taken his case to the Court of Session to have the decree of divorce scrapped and the couple declared married.

But his former wife has remarried, which means she could be accused of bigamy.

Mr Jandoo said he did not want to continue the relationship but wanted to settle their financial matters and a divorce under simplified procedure was not appropriate.

Lord Woolman gave the pair three months to come to an agreement.

In a written ruling, the judge said: “The defender knew that six months earlier, the pursuer had told her that he would press his financial claims in the event of a divorce; that he was not residing at the address and that service at that address therefore might not be effective; and that his solicitors had indicated in January that he was still likely to insist on his financial claims and that the simplified procedure was inappropriate.

“By proceeding as she did, the defender deprived the pursuer of the opportunity to seek an order for financial provision. When the pursuer returned from India in March, the days of appeal had already expired.”