law commission report no. 217- irretrievable breakdown of marriage - another ground for divorce

8/19/2019 Law Commission Report No. 217- Irretrievable Breakdown of Marriage - Another Ground for Divorce.

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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

LAW COMMISSION OF INDIA

Irretrievable Breakdown o Marria!e "Anot#er Gro$nd or Divor%e

Report No. 217

Mar%# &''(

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LAW COMMISSION OF INDIA)RE*ORT NO+ &,-.


Forwarded to t#e /nion Mini0ter or Law and1$0ti%e2 Mini0tr3 o Law and 1$0ti%e2 Govern4ent o India b3 Dr+ 1$0ti%e AR+ Lak0#4anan2 C#air4an2Law Co44i00ion o India2 on t#e 5't# da3 o Mar%#2 &''(+

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T#e ,6t# Law Co44i00ion wa0 %on0tit$ted or a7eriod o t#ree 3ear0 ro4 ,0t Se7te4ber2 &''8 b3Order No+ A+9:',&;,;&''8


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T#e Law Co44i00ion i0 lo%ated in ILI B$ildin!2&nd Floor2 B#a!wan Da0 Road2New Del#i


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T#e tet o t#i0 Re7ort i0 available on t#e Internetat

#tt7;;www+law%o44i00ionoindia+ni%+in

Govern4ent o IndiaLaw Co44i00ion o India

T#e tet in t#i0 do%$4ent )e%l$din! t#eGovern4ent Lo!o. 4a3 be re7rod$%ed ree o %#ar!e in an3 or4at or 4edi$4 7rovided t#at it i0

re7rod$%ed a%%$ratel3 and not $0ed in a 4i0leadin!%ontet+ T#e 4aterial 4$0t be a%knowled!ed a0Govern4ent %o73ri!#t and t#e title o t#e do%$4ent07e%iied+

An3 en$irie0 relatin! to t#i0 Re7ort 0#o$ld beaddre00ed to t#e Me4ber


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D.O. No. 6(3)/155/2009-LC (LS) 30th March, 2009

Dear Dr. Bhardwaj Ji,

Subject: Irretrieva!e "rea#$o%& o' Marriae *&other +ro&$ 'or Divorce

I a 'or%ar$i& here%ith the 21th eort o' the La%

Coiio& o' I&$ia o& the aove ect.

Sectio& 13 o' the i&$ Marriae *ct, 1955 rovi$e ro&$

'or ree&tatio& o' a etitio& 'or $ivorce. Sectio& 2 o' the Secia!

Marriae *ct, 1954 ii!ar! rovi$e ro&$ 'or ra&t o' $ivorce i&

the cae o' a arriae o!e&ie$ &$er the *ct. o%ever, the ai$

*ct $o &ot rovi$e 7irretrieva!e rea#$o%& o' arriae8 a a

ro&$ 'or $ivorce. he La% Coiio& o' I&$ia i& it 1t eort

tit!e$ 7he i&$ Marriae *ct, 1955 - Irretrieva!e "rea#$o%& o'

Marriae a a +ro&$ o' Divorce8 recoe&$e$ ae&$e&t i&

the i&$ Marriae *ct to a#e irretrieva!e rea#$o%& o' arriae

a a &e% ro&$ 'or ra&ti& $ivorce ao& the i&$. ece&t!,

the Sree Cort a!o i& Naveen Kohli v. Neelu Kohli (*I 2006 SC

165) recoe&$e$ to the :&io& o' I&$ia to erio! co&i$er

ri&i& a& ae&$e&t i& the i&$ Marriae *ct, 1955 to

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i&cororate irretrieva!e rea#$o%& o' arriae a a ro&$ 'or the

ra&t o' $ivorce.

I& vie% o' the aove, the La% Coiio& o' I&$ia suo motutoo# the t$ o' the ect. he Coiio& e;ai&e$ the

e;ta&t !ei!atio& a %e!! a a &er o' $e&t o' the Sree

Cort a&$ ih Cort o& the ect a&$ i o' the vie% that

7irretrieva!e rea#$o%& o' arriae8 ho!$ e i&cororate$ a

a&other ro&$ 'or ra&ti& $ivorce &$er the roviio& o' the

i&$ Marriae *ct, 1955 a&$ the Secia! Marriae *ct, 1954. he

Cort e'ore ra&ti& a $ecree 'or $ivorce o& the ro&$ that the

arriae ha irretrieva! ro#e& $o%& ho!$ a!o e;ai&e %hether

a$eor i&cere!,

(Dr. *. La#ha&a&)

Dr. . . "har$%a,:&io& Mi&iter 'or La% a&$ ?tice,+over&e&t o' I&$iaShatri "ha%a&,Ne% De!hi-110 001.

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"able of *o%te%ts

@*+A NO. I. INOD:CION 9-

11

II. ?:DICI*L BIA=/S:++ASIONS 12-

22

III. ACOMMAND*ION 23

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I. INTROD/CTION

1.1 =he&ever the


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7It aear to e &ecear to i&tro$ce irretrieva!e

rea#$o%& o' arriae a&$ ta! co&e&t a ro&$ o'

$ivorce i& a!! cae.G=e et that the tie ha coe 'or

the i&terve&tio& o' the !ei!atre i& thoe atter to rovi$e 'or a &i'or co$e o' arriae a&$ $ivorce a&$ to rovi$e !a%

'or a %a ot o' the &ha itatio& i& %hich co!e !i#e the

ree&t have 'o&$ thee!ve.85

1.5 It i erti&e&t to &otice that the La% Coiio& o' I&$ia ha

a!rea$ itte$ a ver corehe&ive 1t eort o& irretrieva!e

rea#$o%& o' arriae a a ro&$ o' $ivorce. he atter ha$ ee&

ta#e& the Coiio& a a re!t o' a re'ere&ce a$e the

+over&e&t o' I&$ia. he La% Coiio& &$er the Chaira&hi

o' Shri ?tice . . Hha&&a ree&te$ it eort o& *ri! , 19.

he eort co&i$ere$ the etio& a&$ a&a!e$ the ae i&

e;te&o. "e'ore ear#i& o& 'rther actio& o& the etio& that

irretrieva!e rea#$o%& o' arriae ho!$ e a$e a a ro&$ 'or $ivorce, the La% Coiio& co&i$ere$ it aroriate to i&vite

vie% o& the atter ii& a rie'


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other ro&$ o' $ivorce i& Chater B. I& Chater BI the Coiio&

a!o co&i$ere$ the re


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%rec#e$ eo&$ the hoe o' a!vae, !ic i&teret !ie i& the

reco&itio& o' that 'act. Si&ce there i &o acceta!e %a i& %hich a

oe ca& e coe!!e$ to ree !i'e %ith the co&ort, &othi& i

ai&e$ tri& to #ee the artie tie$ 'or ever to a arriae that i&'act ha ceae$ to e;it. a& !i'e ha a hort a& a&$ itatio&

cai& ier ca&&ot e a!!o%e$ to co&ti&e i&$e'i&ite!. * ha!t ha

to e ca!!e$ at oe tae. La% ca&&ot tr& a !i&$ ee to ch

itatio&, &or ca& it $ec!i&e to ive a$e


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uch cae and cautin in ece,tina$ cicustances n$y in the inteest

bth the ,aties.9

2.3 I& Geeta Mullick v. ro!o Gopal Mullick "# the Ca!ctta ih

Cort he!$E

7I& or co&i$ere$ oi&io&, the arriae et%ee& the artie

ca& &ot e $io!ve$ the tria! Cort or eve& the ih

Cort o&! o& the ro&$ o' arriae havi& ee& irretrieva!

ro#e& $o%&, i& the ae&ce o' o&e or ore ro&$ a

co&te!ate$ &$er ectio& 13(1) o' the i&$ Marriae *ct,

1955.811

2.4 he co&cet o' irretrieva!e rea#$o%& o' arriae ca&&ot e

e$ a aic 'or!a to otai& a $ecree 'or $ivorce %here ro&$

'or $ivorce are &ot rove$.

2.5 I& $. hagat v. D. hagat "2 the Sree Cort he!$ E

7Irretrieva!e rea#$o%& o' the arriae i &ot a ro&$

'or $ivorce ite!'. "t %hi!e crti&ii& the evi$e&ce o&

recor$ to $eteri&e %hether the ro&$() a!!ee$ i

a$e ot a&$ i& $eteri&i& the re!ie' to e ra&te$, the

ai$ circta&ce ca& certai&! e or&e i& i&$.813

9 /u,a nte 1* ,age 293.1+ -R 2++3 0a$. 321.11 bid.* ,aa 7.12 -R 1994 /0 71+.13 bid., ,aa 23.

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2.6 he Ca!ctta ih Cort i& %apan Kumar Chakra&ort' v.

J'otsna Chakra&ort' "4 he!$ that i& a etitio& 'or $ivorce o& a

ro&$ a e&tio&e$ i& the i&$ Marriae *ct or the Secia!

Marriae *ct, cort ca&&ot ra&t $ivorce o& the ere ro&$ o' irretrieva!e rea#$o%& o' arriae.

2. I& Kanchan Devi v. (ramod Kumar Mittal ") * ho%ever, the

Sree Cort he!$E

7Gthe arriae et%ee& the ae!!a&t a&$ the reo&$e&t ha

irretrieva! ro#e& $o%& a&$ that there %a &o oii!it o'

reco&ci!iatio&, %e i& e;ercie o' or o%er &$er *rt. 142 o'

the Co&tittio& o' I&$ia here $irect that the arriae

et%ee& the ae!!a&t a&$ the reo&$e&t ha!! ta&$

$io!ve$ a $ecree o' $ivorce.816

2.8 hee is n use ee,ing t" ,esns tied by the atinia$

e$atinshi, "hen they cannt $ive ,eaceu$$y. hee "ed$c has becea dead$c* since ,aties ae $iving se,aate$y* and ate aiage the "ie

has $ived n$y a e" nths in the atinia$ he* "ie having ade

a$$egatins cue$ty and desetin against the husband and husband having

ade cuntea$$egatins against he* the cut in Krishna vs. Som Nath17

he$d that aiage is ietievab$y ben and it is in the inteest :ustice

that decee divce be ganted s that bth the ,aties can $ive in ,eace.

hen the cut inds in acts as "e$$ as ta$s esett$eent

ecnci$iatin bet"een ,aties that thee "as n ,ssibi$ity eunin

14 -R 1997 0a$. 134.15 -R 1996 /0 3192.16 bid.* ,aa 6.17 (1996) #M0 667 (;


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bet"een husband and "ie and eusa$ decee divce "u$d n$y

,$ng the agnies the s,uses* it can diss$ve the aiage n this

gund.18 hee the husband and the "ie ae $iving se,aate$y each

the the $ast 19 yeas and thee is n chance sett$eent bet"een the

,aties a decee divce can be ganted.19 hee thee "as n

cnsuatin aiage* "ie being advese t chabitatin* "ie

disbeyed instuctins the cut t undeg edica$ eainatin t ,ve

that aiage had nt cnsuated* thee "as indecent behaviu "ie t

he in$a"s e$ecting he enta$ iba$ance* and the ,aties have been $iving

se,aate$y a ,eid 16 yeas "ithut any seius atte,t

ecnci$iatin* a decee diss$ving the aiage "u$d be ,,e.2+

2.9 he Sree Cort i& Savitri (ande' v. (rem Chandra

(ande' 2" he!$ that arriae et%ee& the artie ca&&ot e

$io!ve$ o&! o& the avere&t a$e o&e o' the artie

that a the arriae et%ee& the ha ro#e& $o%&, &o e'!

roe %o!$ e erve$ to #ee it a!ive. he !ei!atre, i& it

%i$o, $eite oervatio& o' the Sree Cort ha &ot

thoht it roer to rovi$e 'or $io!tio& o' the arriae o&

ch avere&t. here a e cae %here it i 'o&$ that a

the arriae ha ecoe $ea$ o& acco&t o' co&tritor act

o' coiio& a&$ oiio& o' the artie, &o e'! roe

%o!$ e erve$ #eei& ch arriae a!ive. he a&ctit

o' arriae ca&&ot e !e't at the %hi o' o&e o' the a&&oi&

oe.

18 Asho v. !u"a, 1996 (2) 'R 512 (=u:).19 Shanar v. #us"ita* -R 2++5 Jha. 92.2+ !ita v. Tri$oesh* -R 2++7 =au.122.21 -R 2++2 /0 591.

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2.10 I& $inita Sa+ena v. (anka! (andit 22* the arriae et%ee&

Bi&ita Sa;e&a a&$ her ha&$ @aa @a&$it %a $io!ve$ a&

or$er o' the Sree Cort. he arriae et%ee& the artie!ate$ o&! 'or 'ive o&th. "oth o' the %ere !ivi& earate! 'or

over 13 ear. Marriae a!o %a &ot co&ate$. =i'e 'i!e$ a

etitio& 'or the $io!tio& o' arriae o& the ro&$ o' hica! a&$

e&ta! cre!t a&$ i&a&it o& the art o' the ha&$. ria! cort

ho%ever $iie$ the etitio&. ih Cort a!o $iie$ the

aea! $eite the 'ai!re o' the ha&$ to aear e'ore the cort.

*!!o%i& the aea! o' the %i'e, a $iviio& e&ch o' the Sree

Cort ea#i& throh Dr. ?tice *. La#ha&a& ( a he the&

%a ) he!$ that the or$er o' the cort e!o% ha$ re!te$ i& rave

icarriae o' tice to the %i'e %ho ha$ ee& co&trai&e$ i&to !ivi&

%ith a $ea$ re!atio&hi 'or over 13 ear a&$ that the 'act itatio&

c!ear! ho%e$ that the ha&$ a&$ %i'e ca& &ever ever ta a

ha&$ a&$ %i'e a&$ the %i'e ta %ith the reo&$e&t ha&$%o!$ e i&rio to her hea!th. *ccor$i&!, a $ecree o' $ivorce

%a ra&te$ i& 'avor o' the %i'e aai&t the ha&$. he Cort

he!$ a 'o!!o%E

736. * to %hat co&titte the re


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3. I' the ta&t, co!ai&t a&$ reroache are o' or$i&ar

&atre o&!, the cort erha &ee$ co&i$er the 'rther


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he arriae et%ee& the artie %a &ot co&ate$ a

the reo&$e&t %a &ot i& a oitio& to '!'i! the atrio&ia!

o!iatio&.

he artie have ee& !ivi& earate! i&ce 1993. 13ear have ae$ the have &ever ee& each other.

"oth the artie have croe$ the oi&t o' &o retr&.

* %or#a!e o!tio& i certai&! &ot oi!e.

@artie at thi tae ca&&ot reco&ci!e thee!ve a&$ !ive

toether 'oretti& their at a a a$ $rea.

@artie have ee& 'ihti& the !ea! att!e 'ro the ear

1994.

he itatio& et%ee& the artie %o!$ !ea$ to a irre'ta!e

co&c!io& that the ae!!a&t a&$ the reo&$e&t ca& &ever

ever ta a ha&$ a&$ %i'e a&$ the %i'e ta %ith the

reo&$e&t i i&rio to her hea!th.

he ae!!a&t ha $o&e her @h.D. he reo&$e&t,

accor$i& to the ae!!a&t, i &ot ai&'!! e!oe$

a&%here.

* a atter o' 'act, a'ter !eavi& hi $eoitio& i&co!ete

$ri& the tria!, the reo&$e&t ti!! $ate ha &either aeare$

e'ore the tria! cort &or e'ore the ih Cort.

50. he 'act a&$ circta&ce o' the cae a %e!! a a!!

aect ertai& to ha&it a&$ !i'e %o!$ ive ''icie&t

coe&t reao& 'or to a!!o% the aea! a&$ re!ieve the

ae!!a&t 'ro hac#!e a&$ chai& o' the reo&$e&t a&$ !et

her !ive her o%& !i'e, i' &othi& !e t !i#e a ha& ei&.8

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2.11 I& Samar Ghosh v Ja'a Ghosh23 the Sree Cort re'erre$

to the 1t eort o' the La% Coiio& o' I&$ia o& Irretrieva!e

"rea#$o%& o' Marriae %ith arova! a 'o!!o%E

>9+. e have eained and eeed t the cases the vaiuscunties. e ind stng basic sii$aity in ad:udicatin cases

e$ating t enta$ cue$ty in atinia$ attes. !"* "e dee ita,,,iate t dea$ "ith the 71st Re,t the 'a" 0issin ndia n ?etievab$e &ead"n Maiage?.

91. he 71st Re,t the 'a" 0issin ndia bie$y dea$t "ith

the cnce,t ietievab$e bead"n aiage. his Re,t "assubitted t the =venent n 7th -,i$* 1978. n this Re,t* it isentined that duing $ast 2+ yeas s* and n" it "u$d be aund5+ yeas* a vey i,tant @uestin has engaged the attentin $a"yes* scia$ scientists and en aais* shu$d the gant divce be based n the au$t the ,aty* shu$d it be based n the

bead"n the aiageA he e is n"n as the atinia$ence they au$t they. he $atte has ce t be n"n as the

bead"n they. t "u$d be e$evant t eca,itu$ate

ecendatin the said Re,t.

92. n the Re,t* it is entined that the ge the bead"nthey* s a as 0n"ea$th cunties ae cncened* ay beund in the $egis$ative and :udicia$ deve$,ents duing a uchea$ie ,eid. he (!e" Bea$and) #ivce and Matinia$ 0auses

-endent -ct* 192+* inc$uded the ist tie the ,visin that ase,aatin ageeent thee yeas e "as a gund aing a ,etitin t the cut divce and the cut "as given a

discetin ("ithut guide$ines) "hethe t gant the divce nt.he discetin cneed by this statute "as eecised in a case

Lodder v. Lodder (1921 !e" Bea$and 'a" Re,ts 786). /a$nd J.*in a ,assage "hich has n" bece c$assic* enunciated the

bead"n ,inci,$e in these "ds%

23 (2++7) 4 /00 511.

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he Lei!atre t, I thi, e ta#e& to have i&te&$e$that earatio& 'or three ear i to e accete$ thiCort, a ria 'acie a oo$ ro&$ 'or $ivorce. =he&the atrio&ia! re!atio& ha 'or that erio$ ceae$ toe;it $e 'acto, it ho!$, &!e there are ecia! reao&to the co&trar, ceae to e;it $e re a!o. I& e&era!, iti &ot i& the i&teret o' the artie or i& the i&teret o' the!ic that a a& a&$ %oa& ho!$ reai& o&$toether a ha&$ a&$ %i'e i& !a% %he& 'or a !e&therio$ the have ceae$ to e ch i& 'act. I& the cae o' ch a earatio& the ee&tia! roe o' arriaehave ee& 'rtrate$, a&$ it 'rther co&ti&a&ce i i&e&era! &ot ere! e!e t ichievo.

93. n the said Re,t* it is entined that esticting the gund divce t a ,aticu$a ence atinia$ disabi$ity* causesin:ustice in thse cases "hee the situatin is such that a$thugh nne

the ,aties is at au$t* the au$t is such a natue that the ,atiest the aiage d nt "ant t divu$ge it* yet such a situatin hasaisen in "hich the aiage cannt suvive. he aiage has a$$ theetena$ a,,eaances aiage* but nne in ea$ity. -s is ten ,ut

,ithi$y* the aiage is ee$y a she$$ ut "hich the substance isgne. n such cicustances* it is stated* thee is had$y any uti$ity inaintaining the aiage as a acade* "hen the etina$ and the

bnds "hich ae the essence aiage have disa,,eaed.

94. t is a$s entined in the Re,t that in case the aiage hasceased t eist in substance and in ea$ity* thee is n easn denying divce* then the ,aties a$ne can decide "hethe thei utua$ e$atinshi, ,vides the u$i$ent "hich they see. #ivce

shu$d be seen as a s$utin and an esca,e ute ut a diicu$tsituatin. /uch divce is uncncened "ith the "ngs the ,ast*

but is cncened "ith binging the ,aties and the chi$den t tes

"ith the ne" situatin and deve$,ents by "ing ut the stsatisacty basis u,n "hich they ay egu$ate thei e$atinshi, inthe changed cicustances.

95. Cnce the ,aties have se,aated and the se,aatin has cntinued a suicient $ength tie and ne the has ,esented a

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,etitin divce* it can "e$$ be ,esued that the aiage has ben d"n. he cut* n dubt* shu$d seius$y ae anendeavu t ecnci$e the ,atiesD yet* i it is und that the

bead"n is ie,aab$e* then divce shu$d nt be "ithhe$d. hecnse@uences ,esevatin in $a" the un"ab$e aiage"hich has $ng ceased t be eective ae bund t be a suce geate isey the ,aties.

2.12 Sii!ar!, i& Sanghamitra Ghosh v Ka!al Kumar Ghosh24 the

Sree Cort %hi!e re'erri& to it ear!ier $eciio& i& ,shok -urra v

upa ipin /averi 25, a!o rero$ce$ oe e;cert 'ro the

a'oreai$ 1t eort o' the La% Coiio&.

2.13 * tate$ ear!ier, the rece&t $eciio& o' the *e; Cort i& the

cae o' Naveen Kohli v. Neelu Kohli 26 '!! eta!ihe the &ee$ 'or

ie$iate ae&$e&t o' the i&$ Marriae *ct to i&cororate

irretrieva!e rea#$o%& o' arriae a a ro&$ 'or ra&t o' $ivorce.

he Cort i& that cae %a $ea!i& %ith a cae %here the artie

%ere !ivi& earate! 'or te& ear. here %ere, $ri& thi erio$,

a& rocee$i& et%ee& the artie, ot! the %i'e.

*!!eatio& o' ico&$ct %ere a$e o& oth i$e, ai&te&a&ce

%a $ea&$e$ a&$ ai$ a&$ the rocee$i& !i&ere$ o& cai&

$ee a&;iet a&$ 'rtratio& to oth i$e. he ha&$ 'i!e$ 'or

$ivorce o& the ro&$ avai!a!e cre!t. he ria! Cort ra&te$

hi re!ie' t the ih Cort tr&e$ $o%& the $ivorce etitio& o& the

ro&$ that the co&$ct o' the %i'e $i$ &ot 'a!! %ithi& the araeter

o' cre!t a $e'i&e$ i& vario $e&t. he ha&$ %a ac#

24 (2++7) 2 /00 22+.25 (1997) 4 /00 226.26 /u,a nte 2.

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to


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3.2 he ae&$e&t a a!o rovi$e that the cort e'ore

ra&ti& a $ecree 'or $ivorce o& the ro&$ that the arriae ha

irretrieva! ro#e& $o%& ho!$ a!o e;ai&e %hether a$e

law commission report no. 217- irretrievable breakdown of marriage - another ground for divorce

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