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2001 Supreme(Mad) 342

High Court of Judicature at Madras
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE V. BAKTHAVATSALU
Sujatha Christiana - Appellant
Versus
C. Thomas - Respondents
Civil Misc. Appeal Nos. 778 and 779 of 1996
Decided On : 16 March 2001

Appearing Advocates:S. Subbiah, N. Vanchi-Nathan, Advocates.

Headnote:

Restitution of Conjugal Rights - Family Law - Indian Divorce Act, Section 32 - The court considered the petitioner's plea for restitution of conjugal rights and the respondent's refusal to return to the marital home. The court also addressed the issue of custody of the minor child. The legal provisions of Section 32 of the Indian Divorce Act were interpreted to determine whether the respondent had withdrawn from the society of the petitioner without reasonable excuse. The court found that the strained relationship and subsequent events made it impossible for the parties to live together, and therefore, restitution of conjugal rights was not ordered. The court also held that it was not in the best interest of the child to be handed over to the petitioner at that stage.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner sought restitution of conjugal rights, claiming that the respondent had refused to return to the marital home. The petitioner also sought custody of the minor child, alleging that the respondent was unfit to be the guardian.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the strained relationship and subsequent events made it impossible for the parties to live together, and therefore, restitution of conjugal rights was not ordered. The court also held that it was not in the best interest of the child to be handed over to the petitioner at that stage.

Issues: The main issues were the refusal of the respondent to return to the marital home and the custody of the minor child.

Ratio Decidendi: The court applied Section 32 of the Indian Divorce Act to determine whether the respondent had withdrawn from the society of the petitioner without reasonable excuse. The court also considered the welfare of the child as the paramount consideration in deciding custody.

Final Decision: The court set aside the order for restitution of conjugal rights and directed the parties to bear their respective costs. The court also set aside the order for custody of the minor child, stating that it was not in the best interest of the child to be handed over to the petitioner at that stage.

Judgment :-

C.M. A. No. 778 of 1996 is preferred against the order passed in I. D. O. P. No.36 of 89. C.M.A. No. 779 of 1996 is preferred against the order passed by the Learned District Judge in G.W.O.P. No. 45 of 1991. The respondent in the above O.Ps is the appellant in both the appeals. The respondent herein has filed I.D.O.P. No. 36 of 89 against the appellant herein, who is his wife.

2. The case of the petitioner is as follows :-

The petitioner and respondent are CSI christians and their marriage was solemnized on 29-12-1983 in Kanyakumari District. The petitioner is employed as a Assistant Professor in the Government Arts College, Musiri, Tiruchirapalli District. After the marriage, the petitioner and respondent spent some time at the petitioner's family name and thereafter, both went to Musiri on 23-1-1984 and lived their happily till 22-4-1984. At the commencement of the summar holidays in April 1984, the petitioner and the respondent returned to the petitioner's house and lived there till 30-5-1984. On 31-5-1984, the respondent left the petitioner's house and went to her parents house at Palappalam, about five kilometers away from the petitioner's house. The respondent was pregnant at that time. The respondent did not return to the petitioner's house, though she promised to go back after spending few days with her parents. The respondent's father is a widower. The petitioner unsuspecting the real cause of the respondent continued residing with her father used to visit her and had asked her to return to the petitioner's house. On 12-6-1984, the petitioner went back to Musiri and the respondent refused to go with him. On 29-11-1984, the respondent gave birth to a male child. No intimation was given to the petitioner even at the time of baptism of the child. The respondent accepted the job of a teacher in My Lady in Agasteeswaram Taluk in the month of June 1984 and this was not disclosed to the petitioner before he went back to Musiri on 12-6-1984. the respondent expressed her desire to work being a post-graduate herself and the petitioner had disclosed to the respondent about the dis-advantage and advantage of the respondent accepting the teacher's job in a private school. The bringing up of children, the possibility of petitioner's regular transfers, the near impossibility of respondent's getting a job in a Government School, the job in a private school making it necessary for the respondent to stay at a particular place for the rest of her period of service, the additional expense in maintaining two establishments and the psychological effect on the growing children all certain problems. In spite of these difficulties, the petitioner tried to get the respondent a job in Nayarasam Matriculation School at Palliyathur near Erode and nearer to Musiri in the month of May 1984. This was not to the liking of the respondent. When the petitioner was told that the respondent had taken up a job in a school in Kanyakumari District, the petitioner did not at the outset suspect that it was the outcome of a careful plan at the instance of the father of the respondent. The respondent expressed her intention to stay in Kanyakumari District and continued her services in one of the private schools in the district and the said decision was influenced by the father of the responeent. The petitioner pleaded her through letters and also in person to come and reside with him. But the said request was not accepted by the respondent. The petitioner made efforts to persuade the respondent to reside with the petitioner and to resume cohabitation. The friends and relatives and a Professor of Christian College, Nagercoil and the brother-in-law of the petitioner talked to the respondent and her father and requested her to live with the petitioner. But all the efforts ended in failure. The respondent has no right to break the marital house and deny consortium to the petitioner. The respondent is obliged in law to live with the petitioner as a lawful
































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