Court to which petition shall be presented.

1[19. Court to which petition shall be presented.—Every petition under this Act shall be presented to the District Court within the local limits of whose ordinary original civil jurisdiction:

1. (i) the marriage was solemnized, or
2. (ii) the respondent, at the time of the presentation of the petition, resides, or
3. (iii) the parties to the marriage last resided together, or 2[(iiia) in case the wife is the petitioner, where she is residing on the date of presentation of the petition; or]
4. (iv) the petitioner is residing at the time of the presentation of the petition, in a case where the respondent is at that time, residing outside the territories to which this Act extends, or has not been heard of as being alive for a period of seven years or more by those persons who would naturally have heard of him if he were alive.]

¹ Subs. by Act 68 of 1976, s. 12, for s. 19 (w.e.f. 27-5-1976).

² Clause (iiia) inserted by Act 50 of 2003, s. 4 (w.e.f. 23-12-2003).