SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2014 Supreme(Gau) 245

THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT
(THE HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM & ARUNACHAL PRADESH)
B.P. KATAKEY, P.K. SAIKIA, JJ.
Smt. Anju Saha - Appellant
Vs.
Sri Gobinda Saha - Respondent
MAT. APP. No. 28 of 2013
Decided on : 13.03.2014

Advocates Appeared:
Advocate(s) for the Appellant: Mr. P.S. Seka, Mr. N.D. Bhuyan, Mr. P.K. Mazumdar, Ms. S. Bhattacharjee.
Advocate(s) for the Respondent: Mr. A.M. Buzarbaruah, Mr. B. Ahmed, Mr. N. Haque, Mr. K. Uddin.

Headnote:

Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 - Section 13(1)(i) – Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Section 494 and 498A – Cruelty - Dissolution of marriage – Divorce Decree – Appeal against - Contending inter alia that though marriage between parties was solemnized on 13.02.2004, out of which wedlock a boy was born, who was 5(five) years old, appellant/wife has started treating respondent/husband as well as his family members with cruelty by using harsh and filthy languages causing mental pain to them, who often went away to her parents’ house with minor child without knowledge and consent of husband, thereby causing inconvenience and hardship to him - A very serious allegation of living an adulterous life has also been leveled by husband, in said application seeking divorce, against wife - Held, Though certain allegations, which in event of being proved, may amount to mental cruelty, were leveled by respondent/husband against appellant/wife, those could not be proved by respondent/husband - As because criminal proceedings under Section 494 IPC and 498A IPC have been instituted by appellant/wife against respondent/husband, it would not amount to mental cruelty against respondent/husband, as the appellant/wife has a right to institute such proceedings, unless of course, it is proved that such proceedings are false and frivolous - As noticed above, in case in hand, serious allegation of living in adultery leveled against the appellant/wife could not be substantiated by respondent/husband - Such false and frivolous allegation would constitute the valid ground for appellant/wife to live separately from husband and hence no decree dissolving marriage between parties on ground of marriage being irretrievably broken down because of living separately for a quite long time cannot be passed - Impugned judgment and decree set aside - Appeal allowed.

JUDGMENT AND ORDER (ORAL)

[Katakey, J.]

This appeal, by the wife, is directed against the judgment and decree dated 24.05.2013, passed by the learned District Judge, Barpeta, in Divorce Title Suit No.13/2010, decreeing the suit of the respondent dissolving the marriage between the appellant and the respondent by a decree of divorce, on the ground that the marriage between the parties has irretrievably broken down.

2. An application under Section 13(1)(i) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (in short the 1955 Act), has been filed by the respondent herein praying for dissolution of the marriage with the appellant herein, contending inter alia that though the marriage between the parties was solemnized on 13.02.2004, out of which wedlock a boy was born, who was 5(five) years old, the appellant/wife has started treating the respondent/husband as well as his family members with cruelty by using harsh and filthy languages causing mental pain to them, who often went away to her parents’ house with the minor child without the knowledge and consent of the husband, thereby causing inconvenience and hardship to him. The further pleaded case is that on 20.08.2006 the respondent has left husband along with their minor son and since then is living with her parents, without there being any justification for that and also refused to return to the matrimonial house and openly declared that she would never resume her conjugal life with the husband as he is poor and unable to provide the minimum comfort of life. A very serious allegation of living an adulterous life has also been leveled by the husband, in the said application seeking divorce, against the wife.

3. The appellant wife on receipt of the summons entered appearance and filed the written statement disputing the claim of the husband and contending inter alia that it was the husband who was demanding more dowry and when the family members of the wife refused to pay any further dowry, the husband assaulted her and even threatened her to kill. It has further been pleaded that she was in fact driven out of the matrimonial house along with the minor child, because of non-payment of the dowry, for which she has to institute a proceeding under Section 125 Cr.P.C., she having no independent source of income. The wife has also pleaded that despite her desire to stay with the husband, he has refused to keep the wife and the child and intended to marry another woman. It has also been pleaded that because of the demand for dowry, proceedings under Section 498A IPC was instituted by the wife, apart from institution of a suit seeking damage for the allegation of living an adulterous life.

4. Based on the pleadings of the parties, the Trial Court framed the following issues for determination :–

(i) Whether the petitioner is entitled to get the decree of divorce as prayed for?

(ii) To what other relief(s), if any, the parties are entitled?

5. The learned District Judge upon appreciation of the evidence on record, adduced by the parties passed the decree dissolving the marriage between the parties, on the ground that the marriage has irretrievably broken down, though it has been held that the husband could not substantiate, by adducing any evidence, the allegation of cruelty as leveled by him against the wife. It has also been held by the learned District Judge that the husband also could not substantiate the allegation of living in adultery by the wife and such false allegation of adultery by a spouse made public and giving publicity results in mental agony and loss of faith in public, which amounts to worst type of cruelty towards the wife. Hence the present appeal.

6. We have heard Mr. P.S. Deka, learned counsel appearing for the appellant/wife and Mr. A.M. Buzarbaruah, learned counsel appearing for the respondent/husband.

7. Mr. Deka, the learned counsel appearing for the appellant, referring to the finding recorded by the learned District Judge in the impugned judgment and decree, has submitted that the










Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top