Roopa Soni vs Kamalnarayan Soni - 2023 Supreme(SC) 844

Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation

2023 Supreme(SC) 844

SANJIV KHANNA, M. M. SUNDRESH
Roopa Soni – Appellant
Versus
Kamalnarayan Soni – Respondent

Advocates appeared:
For the Petitioner(s): Mr. Dushyant Parashar, AOR Mr. Dinesh Pandey, Adv. Mr. Manu Parashar, Adv.
For the Respondent(s): Mr. Shantanu Sagar, AOR

Judgement Key Points

Question 1? Question 2? Question 3?

Key Points: - The word ‘cruelty’ under Hindu Marriage Act Section 13(1)(ia) has no fixed meaning and is applied contextually, varying by person and attending circumstances. [1000781790004] - Burden of proof in divorce petitions is on the petitioner, with preponderance of probabilities rather than beyond reasonable doubt, and Section 23 imposes cautions against condonation and collusion. [1000781790009] (!) (!) - The Court may grant a decree of divorce on the ground of cruelty or irretrievable breakdown, considering social context, duration of separation, impact on children, and economic factors; the decision is discretionary and fact-specific under Article 142. [1000781790006] (!) (!)

Question 1?

Question 2?

Question 3?

JUDGMENT :

M.M. SUNDRESH, J.

Leave granted.

2. Section 13(1) and 13(1A) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (hereinafter referred to as Act of 1955) provide for various grounds for granting divorce:

“13. Divorce.

(i) has, after the solemnization of the marriage, had voluntary sexual intercourse with any person other than his or her spouse; or

(ia) has, after the solemnization of the marriage, treated the petitioner with cruelty; or (ib) has deserted the petitioner for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the petition; or

(ii) has ceased to be a Hindu by conversion to another religion; or

(iii) has been incurably of unsound mind, or has been suffering continuously or intermittently from mental disorder of such a kind and to such an extent that the petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to live with the respondent.

Explanation.—In this clause,—

(a) the expression “mental disorder” means mental illness, arrested or incomplete deve

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Judicial Analysis

Manojit Basu VS Shyamasree Basu (nee Ghosh) - 2023 0 Supreme(Cal) 1243: Roopa Soni vs. ... Kamalnarayan Soni reported in AIR 2023 SC 4186 - Held by Supreme Court; no negative treatment indicated.

Rekha Rani VS Satish Kumar - 2023 0 Supreme(P&H) 1485: Roopa Soni vs. ... Kamalnarayan Soni, Civil Appeal No.5700 of 2023 (Arising out of SLP (C) No.15793 of 2014) = 2023 INSC 814 - Supreme Court decision citation; appears to be the core case.

K. Sekhar Rao. VS K. Rekha - 2024 0 Supreme(Telangana) 342: Kamalnarayan Soni, AIR 2023 SUPREME COURT 4186... has held as under - Explicitly quotes and applies holdings from paras 7-18.

Maya Gopinathan VS Anoop S. B. - 2024 4 Supreme 91: Kamalnarayan Soni, 2023 SCC OnLine SC 1127 applied the ratio... in Roopa Soni - Directly states "applied the ratio"; positive treatment.

Modi Zarana Sureshkumar VS Hetarth Nilesh Kumar Gohil - 2024 0 Supreme(Guj) 1923: Roopa Soni Vs Kamalnarayan Soni, reported in AIR 2023 SC 4186, wherein... has observed - Cites observations; relied upon.

Arun K.R Vs Arunima T.S - 2025 Supreme(Online)(KER) 12194: In Roopa Soni v. Kamalnarayan Soni - Cited in context; no negative indicators.

MANJU S. KRISHNA @ MANJU MAHESH vs MAHESH KUMAR - 2025 Supreme(Online)(Ker) 13893: ...In Roopa Soni v. Kamalnarayan Soni - Cited positively in discussion of evolution of divorce law.

Manju S. Krishna @ Manju Mahesh vs Mahesh Kumar, S/o.Vasudevan - 2025 0 Supreme(Ker) 1546: ...In Roopa Soni v. Kamalnarayan Soni - Same as above; positive contextual citation.

SONA vs SIVAKUMAR - 2025 Supreme(Online)(Ker) 18738: ...In Roopa Soni v. Kamalnarayan Soni - Cited for subjectivity in cruelty; positive reliance.

Godhandam vs Irulayee - 2026 Supreme(Online)(Mad) 3516: Roopa Soni v. Kamalnarayan Soni - Direct citation; no negative treatment.

RAGITHA vs PRADEESHKUMAR O. - 2026 Supreme(Online)(Ker) 23358: ...In Roopa Soni v. Kamalnarayan Soni - Cited for libertarian approach; positive.

JISHA vs MAHESH C - 2026 Supreme(Online)(Ker) 19523: ...In Roopa Soni v. Kamalnarayan Soni - Cited for divorce grounds evolution; positive.

KARANDEEP SINGH CHAWLA VS GURSHISH KARANDEEP CHAWLA - 2024 0 Supreme(MP) 334: Roopa Soni vs. Kamalnarayan Soni 14.6 In AIR 2019 P&H 100, Jitendra Soni vs. - References Roopa Soni alongside another case (AIR 2019 P&H 100); treatment unclear but not negative; grouped here as cited without explicit follow/apply.

Vishwanath S/o Sitaram Agrawal VS Sau. Sarla Vishwanath Agrawal - 2012 4 Supreme 216: Mental Cruelty discussed. Effect of subsequent events. Permanent alimony – considerations. - Summarizes headnotes likely from Roopa Soni; neutral citation.

Sivasankaran VS Santhimeenal - 2021 7 Supreme 130: A marriage is more than... Repeated filing of cases itself has been held... to amount to mental cruelty. - Appears as headnote quoting Roopa Soni principles; neutral/positive.

Shilpa Sailesh VS Varun Sreenivasan - 2023 3 Supreme 257: Divorce by mutual consent... discretion to dissolve marriage... - Headnote on SC discretion under Art. 142, aligning with Roopa Soni; neutral/positive.