JUDGMENT

L. NAGESWARA RAO, J.

1. The Appellant and the Respondent are District Judges working in the State of West Bengal. Their marriage was performed on 19th June, 1992 as per the Special Marriage Act, 1954 (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”). A girl child was born out of the wedlock on 14th April, 1993. There was matrimonial discord between the Appellant and the Respondent and they were living separately since the year 2000. The Appellant filed an application under Section 27 of the Act seeking a divorce.

2. The Appellant alleged that the differences arose because of the improper behavior of the Respondent in not showing due respect to his ailing father. It was further alleged that the Respondent deserted him and refused to give the custody of the child to him. The Appellant further averred in the application that the Respondent did not visit him even when he was seriously ill. The Respondent is accused of using intemperate language and threatening the Appellant with filing of criminal cases if he perused the petition for divorce which he proposed in the year 2005.

3. The Respondent filed a written statement denying the allegations made in the application filed by the applica