B.N. Rao Nalla, J.— This civil miscellaneous appeal is directed against the judgment and decree dated 11.9.2000 passed in O.P. No.150 of 1998 by the learned Judge, Family Court, Visakhapatnam, whereby the original petition filed by the petitioner under Section 13(1)(ia) & (ib) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (for brevity “the Act”) for dissolution of the marriage on the ground of cruelty and desertion for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the petition, was dismissed.

For the sake of convenience, the parties are referred to as they are arrayed in O.P.No.150 of 1998.

2. The brief facts of the case are that the marriage of the petitioner with the respondent took place on 22.12.1974 and was consummated. The petitioner-husband was working in the State Bank of India, Visakhapatnam and both of them lived together in the house of the petitioner’s father as joint family members. It is averred that soon after joining the petitioner, the respondent started harassing him to set up separate family, and as he did not pay any heed to her words, she did not attend the house-hold chores, abused his parents, insulted them on every occas