A.S.Garg, J.

1. The husband brought a petition for seeking a decree of divorce against the wife on the ground of desertion and cruelty in May, 1996. After a hot contest, the petition was dismissed on 14.12.1998 by the learned District Judge, Chandigarh. The husband has filed the present appeal.

2. The husband in this case is a Judicial Officer in the State of Haryana and is a member of Haryana Superior Judicial Service at present. The respondent wife belongs to Doraha, a Sub Division in district Ludhiana. The parties were allegedly married on 6.12.1985 at Doraha according to Hindu rites and ceremonies. No child has been bom out of this wed-lock. The parties lived together till 28.4.1986 and there after never lived together. The allegations of the husband had been that right from the first day of the marriage, he sensed something abnormal in the wife and was unable to consummate the marriage as the respondent-wife could not possibly cooperate because of something lacking in her health for a cohabitation and the marriage virtually remained non-existent. One day, the respondent told that appellant-husband that she was suffering from protracted ailment and her ailment was conce