This Petition has been filed for a declaration of the marriage solemnized on 22.01.1981 at Roman Catholic Church Thalayavattai Kanniyakumar District as null and void on the ground the same is vitiated by fraud or in the alternative for judicial separation on the grounds of desertion coupled with cruelty.

2. The averments in the petition is as follows:-

(i) The marriage between the petitioner and the respondent took place on 22.01.1981. The marriage was solemnized at Roman Catholic Church Thalayavattai at Kanniyakumar District. At the time of marriage 12 sovereigns of jewels were given along with a bank pass book with a deposit of Rs.10,000/- and the respondent is in custody of the jewels till he deserted the petitioner in the year 1995. The respondent did not mind for the welfare of the family and did not evince any interest in taking care of the petitioner. She behaved in such un-tolerable manner. She quarrelled with the petitioner for no fault on his part. She did not cook for a week or two. On another occasion, she blamed her fate for marrying the petitioner and scolded her parents for selecting the petitioner as her husband. She was atrocious and arrogant that quite