J U D G M E N T

NEENA BANSAL KRISHNA, J

1. The appeal has been preferred on behalf of the appellant/husband against the judgment dated 20.05.1999 passed by the Additional District Judge, Delhi vide which his petition for divorce/annulment of marriage on the ground of cruelty and there being a sapinda relationship between the parties has been dismissed.

2. The parties to the litigation got married on 04.05.1992 according Hindu rites & customs. There is no child from the said wedlock. The appellant asserted that Smt. Shivani Ditti: the grandmother of the respondent/wife is the sister of the father of the Appellant and thus, they fall within the prohibited degree of relationship, being the sapindas of each other and therefore, the marriage is liable to be declared as a nullity in terms of section 5 read with section 11 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.

3. The appellant had further alleged various acts of cruelty namely:

(i) The behaviour of the respondent towards the appellant was not right from the beginning as she was disrespectful to him and his parents.

(ii) She threatened to implicate the appellant and his parents in false cases.

(iii) She insisted on living separately in her mother‟s h