India, Feb. 20 -- The failure of a marriage does not mark the end of life, the Supreme Court told a young couple while urging the estranged partners to move forward rather than engage in prolonged legal battles.

A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan dissolved the marriage of a young couple who had been entangled in a series of litigations since their separation within a year of tying the knot.

The apex court, invoking its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, granted the divorce and also terminated all pending legal proceedings between the parties. "The parties are young. They must look ahead towards their future. If the marriage has failed, that is not the end of life for both. They must look ahead and start ...