JUDGMENT

AHMADI, J.:- Delay condoned. Special leave granted in both matters. The facts leading to these cases, briefly stated, are that the appellant-Anita married respondent Laxmi Narain on November 1, 1987 at Ghaziabad according to Hindu rites. It is the appellants case that on the very next day at the Bidai ceremony the relatives of her husband raised a dispute regarding inadequacy of dowry amount. However, that dispute was settled for the time being by respectable persons but Anita was not happy at her husbands home on account of ill-treatment meted out to her by the respondent. Ultimately on March 11, 1988 she left for her fathers house in Ghaziabad and since then she has been living there.

2. The respondent sent, a notice through his Advocate dated November 16, 1988 and followed it up by filing a Divorce Petition under S. 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act in the City Civil Court at Bombay. On the appellant being served with the notice of the divorce petition she went to Bombay and entered an appearence and also filed an application for maintenance pendente lite. Even thereafter she attended court on several adjournments but there was no progress in the matter. On October 3, 1989 the