(Civil Miscellaneous Appeal filed under Family Courts Act, 1984, against the judgment and decree passed in F.C.O.P. No.215 of 1997 by the I Additional Judge, Family Court, Madras on 23.04.1999.)

V. Dhanapalan, J.

This Civil Miscellaneous Appeal is directed against the decree and judgment dated 23.04.1997 passed by the I Additional Principal Judge, Family Court, Madras in FCOP No.215 of 1997.

2. The appellant and the respondent are husband and wife respectively. The appellant had filed a petition for dissolution of marriage between them by a decree of divorce on the ground of cruelty under Section 13(1) (i-a) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The Family Court, after comprehensively dealing with the matter, dismissed the petition holding that the respondent has not treated the petitioner with cruelty and rejected the appellant's prayer to dissolve the marriage which took place on 23.08.1992. The appellant, aggrieved by the judgment of the Family Court, has preferred the present appeal on various grounds.

3. The appellant's case in brief is as under:

a. The appellant married the first respondent on 23.08.1992 according to Hindu rites and customs. Subsequently, the marriage was r