The ruling of the Supreme Court of India in Dhananjay Rathi v. Ruchika Rathi clarifies that withdrawal of consent in mutual divorce is not an absolute right once a full and final settlement has been reached. While Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act generally permits withdrawal before the final decree, the Court carved out an important exception—where parties have entered into a binding mediation settlement and acted upon it, consent cannot be arbitrarily withdrawn. The Court emphasized the sanctity of mediation, holding that a court-approved settlement replaces the original dispute and becomes legally enforceable. Allowing withdrawal in such cases would undermine alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and encourage misuse of the legal process. It further held that initiating fresh litigation, such as a domestic violence case after settlement, may amount to mala fide conduct and abuse of process. Invoking its powers under Article 142, the Court dissolved the marriage and quashed proceedings to ensure complete justice between the parties.