Parveen Mehta vs Inderjit Mehta on 11 July, 2002

In the case of Savitri Pandey vs. Prem Chandra Pandey, (2002) 2 SCC
73, this Court construing the question of 'cruelty' as a ground of divorce
under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Act made the following observations :

"Treating the petitioner with cruelty is a ground for divorce

under Section 13(1)(i-a) of the Act.Cruelty has not been defined under
the Act but in relation to matrimonial matters it is contemplated as a
conduct of such type which endangers the living of the petitioner with
the respondent. Crueltyconsists of acts which are dangerous to life,
limb or health. Cruelty for the purpose of the Act means where one
spouse has so treated the other and manifested such feelings towards her
or him as to have inflicted bodily injury, or to have caused reasonable
apprehension of bodily injury, suffering or to have injured
health. Cruelty may be physical or mental. Mental cruelty is the
conduct of other spouse which causes mental suffering or fear to the
matrimonial life of the other. "Cruelty", therefore, postulates a
treatment of the petitioner with such cruelty as to cause a reasonable
apprehension in his or her mind that it would be harmful or injurious for
the petitioner to live with the other party. Cruelty, however, has to be
distinguished from the ordinary wear and tear of family life. It cannot be
decided on the basis of the sensitivity of the petitioner and has to be
adjudged on the basis of the course of conduct which would, in general,
be dangerous for a spouse to live with the other. In the instant case both
the trial court as well as the High Court have found on facts that the
wife had failed to prove the allegations of cruelty attributed to the
respondent.

petitioner. This is to be judged not from a solitary incident, but on an

overall consideration of all relevant circumstances."

Quoting with approval the following passage from the judgment

in V.Bhagat vs. D.Bhagat, (1994) 1 SCC 337, this Court observed
therein:

"Mental cruelty in Section 13(1)(i-a) can broadly be defined as that

conduct which inflicts upon the other party such mental pain and
suffering as would make it not possible for that party to live with the
other. In other words, mental cruelty must be of such a nature that the
parties cannot reasonably be expected to live together. The situation
must be such that the wronged party cannot reasonably be asked to put
up with such conduct and continue to live with the other party. It is not
necessary to prove that the mental cruelty is such as to cause injury to
the health of the petitioner. While arriving at such conclusion, regard
must be had to the social status, educational level of the parties, the
society they move in, the possibility or otherwise of the parties ever
living together in case they are already living apart and all other relevant
facts and circumstances which it is neither possible nor desirable to set
out exhaustively. What is cruelty in one case may not amount
to cruelty in another case. It is a matter to be determined in each case
having regard to the facts and circumstances of that case. If it is a case
of accusations and allegations, regard must also be had to the context in
which they were made".

Clause (ia) of sub-Section (1) of Section 13 of the Act is comprehensive

enough to include cases of physical as also mental cruelty. It was
formerly thought that actual physical harm or reasonable apprehension
of it was the prime ingredient of this matrimonial offence. That doctrine
is now repudiated and the modern view has been
that mental cruelty can cause even more grievous injury and create in
the mind of the injured spouse reasonable apprehension that it will be
harmful or unsafe to live with the other party. The principle
that cruelty may be inferred from the whole facts and matrimonial
relations of the parties and interaction in their daily life disclosed by the
evidence is of greater cogency in cases falling under the head
of mental cruelty. Thus mental cruelty has to be established from the
facts (Mulla Hindu Law, 17th Edition, Volume II, page 91).

Cruelty for the purpose of Section 13(1)(ia) is to be taken as a behavior

by one spouse towards the other which causes reasonable apprehension
in the mind of the latter that it is not safe for him or her to continue the
matrimonial relationship with the other. Mental cruelty is a state of
mind and feeling with one of the spouses due to the behavior or
behavioral pattern by the other. Unlike the case of
physical cruelty the mental cruelty is difficult to establish by direct
evidence. It is necessarily a matter of inference to be drawn from the
facts and circumstances of the case. A feeling of anguish,
disappointment and frustration in one spouse caused by the conduct of
the other can only be appreciated on assessing the attending facts and
circumstances in which the two partners of matrimonial life have been
living. The inference has to be drawn from the attending facts and
circumstances taken cumulatively. In case of mental cruelty it will not
be a correct approach to take an instance of misbehavior in isolation and
then pose the question whether such behaviour is sufficient by itself to
cause mental cruelty. The approach should be to take the cumulative
effect of the facts and circumstances emerging from the evidence on
record and then draw a fair inference whether the petitioner in the
divorce petition has been subjected to mental cruelty due to conduct of
the other.

Punjab-Haryana High Court

Neelam Sharma vs Yogesh Kumar Kaushik on 18 February, 2015

AJAY KUMAR MITTAL, J.

1. Feeling aggrieved by the judgment and decree dated 17.9.2002 passed by the
Additional District Judge (I), Rohtak, whereby the petition filed by the respondent-
husband under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (in short "the Act") for
dissolution of marriage by a decree of divorce was allowed, the appellant-wife has
approached this Court by way of instant appeal.

2. Briefly stated, the facts necessary for adjudication of the present appeal as narrated
therein may be noticed. The marriage between the parties was solemnized on 28.4.1999 at
New Basti, Samalakha, District Panipat according to Hindu rites and ceremonies. It was a
simple marriage and some articles were given to the appellant by her parents as gifts but
no dowry was taken by the respondent. After the GURBACHAN SINGH 2015.03.10
10:40 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document High Court
Chandigarh marriage, the parties lived together and cohabited as husband and wife at
Rohtak and out of the said wedlock, a female child was born. According to the averments
made in the divorce petition, the appellant was a lady of childish and non-cooperative
nature. She had been a puppet in the hands of her mother and had not left the affection of
her parents and had always been keen to live in her parental house instead of her
matrimonial home. She had always been reluctant to have sexual intercourse with the
respondent and this caused mental tension, agony and mental cruelty to the respondent.
She even did not allow the respondent to have sex with her. After the marriage, the
respondent took her to Samalakha to meet her parents but she refused to come back and
the respondent left her there and asked her to come back after 2/3 days. Thereafter, the
respondent brought her back with much persuasion and soon after she reached the
matrimonial home, she rang up her parents and her brother came to Rohtak and took her
back to Samalakha. When she made frequent visits to Samalakha, the respondent talked
to her parents whereupon they told that her brother Sunil was suffering from ill soul effect
(Pret Badha) and the presence of the appellant was necessary for his care. The respondent
was pressurized by his in-laws for separation from the rest of his family and on his
assurance, he brought her back. When he did not ask his parents for separation for 2/3
days, then the appellant asked him to talk to his father but on his refusal, she became rude
and refused to do any work in the house. The respondent tried to make her understand but
instead of understanding the matter, she insulted the entire family of the respondent and
left the matrimonial home and flatly refused to return to her matrimonial home unless he
separated himself from his family. GURBACHAN SINGH 2015.03.10 10:40 I attest to
the accuracy and authenticity of this document High Court ChandigarhHowever, keeping
in mind the peace of married life, the parents of the respondent separated him from the
joint family and when they settled in a rented accommodation, the appellant and her
family members were not satisfied and they started pressurizing the respondent to claim
his share in the property of his father and on his refusal, the appellant refused to do the
domestic duties and she even did not cook meal for him. In the first week of April, 2000,
the appellant went to her parents without informing the respondent and when he came
back from his school, he came to know about this fact from his landlady upon which he
immediately went to Samalakha and asked her as to why she had repeated the above acts
and conduct. On this, the appellant told that she could not live without her younger
brother Sunil who was ill and that she would come back in 10/15 days. However, she did
not come back and the respondent again visited the house of his in-laws and she returned
back only on the assurance of the respondent for getting his share separate in the parental
property. When the appellant complained about pain in her stomach, the respondent
took her to a lady doctor who told that the pain was due to mishandling the
abortion. The said fact was concealed by the appellant from the respondent and this
caused mental cruelty to him.

11. Further, setting out illustrative cases of mental cruelty, the Supreme Court in Samar
Ghosh v. Jaya Ghosh, (2007) 4 SCC 511 had GURBACHAN SINGH 2015.03.10 10:40 I
attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document High Court Chandigarh held as
under:-

"No uniform standard can ever be laid down for guidance, yet we deem it appropriate to
enumerate some instances of human behaviour which may be relevant in dealing with the
cases of 'mental cruelty'. The instances indicated in the succeeding paragraphs are only
illustrative and not exhaustive.
(i) On consideration of complete matrimonial life of the parties, acute mental pain, agony
and suffering as would not make possible for the parties to live with each other could
come within the broad parameters of mental cruelty.
(ii) On comprehensive appraisal of the entire matrimonial life of the parties, it becomes
abundantly clear that situation is such that the wronged party cannot reasonably be asked
to put up with such conduct and continue to live with other party.
(iii) Mere coldness or lack of affection cannot amount to cruelty, frequent rudeness
of language, petulance of manner, indifference and neglect may reach such a degree
that it makes the married life for the other spouse absolutely intolerable.
(iv) Mental cruelty is a state of mind. The feeling of deep anguish, disappointment,
frustration in one spouse caused by the conduct of other for a long time may lead to
mental cruelty.

(v) A sustained course of abusive and humiliating GURBACHAN SINGH 2015.03.10

10:40 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document High Court
Chandigarh treatment calculated to torture, discommode or render miserable life of the
spouse.

(vi) Sustained unjustifiable conduct and behaviour of one spouse actually affecting
physical and mental health of the other spouse. The treatment complained of and the
resultant danger or apprehension must be very grave, substantial and weighty.

(vii) Sustained reprehensible conduct, studied neglect, indifference or total

departure from the normal standard of conjugal kindness causing injury to mental
health or deriving sadistic pleasure can also amount to mental cruelty.

(viii) The conduct must be much more than jealousy, selfishness, possessiveness, which
causes unhappiness and dissatisfaction and emotional upset may not be a ground for grant
of divorce on the ground of mental cruelty.

(ix) Mere trivial irritations, quarrels, normal wear and tear of the married life which
happens in day to day life would not be adequate for grant of divorce on the ground of
mental cruelty.

(x) The married life should be reviewed as a whole and a few isolated instances over a
period of years will not amount to cruelty. The ill-conduct must be persistent for a fairly
lengthy period, where the relationship has deteriorated to an extent that because of the
acts and behaviour of a spouse, the GURBACHAN SINGH 2015.03.10 10:40 I attest to
the accuracy and authenticity of this document High Court Chandigarh wronged party
finds it extremely difficult to live with the other party any longer, may amount to mental
cruelty.

(xi) If a husband submits himself for an operation of sterilization without medical reasons
and without the consent or knowledge of his wife and similarly if the wife undergoes
vasectomy or abortion without medical reason or without the consent or knowledge of her
husband, such an act of the spouse may lead to mental cruelty.

(xii) Unilateral decision of refusal to have intercourse for considerable period without
there being any physical incapacity or valid reason may amount to mental cruelty.

(xiii) Unilateral decision of either husband or wife after marriage not to have child from
the marriage may amount to cruelty.
(xiv) Where there has been a long period of continuous separation, it may fairly be
concluded that the matrimonial bond is beyond repair. The marriage becomes a fiction
though supported by a legal tie. By refusing to sever that tie, the law in such cases, does
not serve the sanctity of marriage; on the contrary, it shows scant regard for the feelings
and emotions of the parties. In such like situations, it may lead to mental cruelty."

16. In view of the above, learned counsel for the appellant was unable to
demonstrate that there was any error or perversity in the judgment of the trial court
in granting decree of divorce on the ground of cruelty which may warrant
interference by this Court. Accordingly, finding no merit in the appeal, the same is
hereby dismissed.

Delhi High Court

Jayant Bhargava vs Priya Bhargava on 1 April, 2011
G.S.SISTANI, J. (ORAL)

1. Present petition is directed against the order 13.12.2010 passed by learned Additional
District Judge, Delhi, on an application filed by respondent (wife) under Section 24 of
Hindu Marriage Act, by virtue of which, petitioner was directed to pay maintenance @
Rs.10,000/- , per month, to the respondent.

2. Counsel for the petitioner submits that learned trial court has exceeded its jurisdiction
by awarding maintenance @ Rs. 10,000/-, per month to the respondent. Counsel further
submits that the respondent has misled the court with regard to income of the petitioner
by stating that the petitioner is earning a sum of Rs. 30,000/- per month. It is next
submitted by the counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner is working as a Sales
Supervisor with M/s Kishan Lal Enterprises and is getting a monthly salary of 6200/- .
Counsel also submits that learned trial court fell into error by ignoring the proof regarding
income of the petitioner apart from the appointment letter and salary slip of the petitioner
which was placed on record.

3. It is submitted by counsel for the petitioner that petitioner is a mere graduate and is still
pursuing his MBA through distance learning in order to become a helping hand to his
family and take care of his parents and two sisters who are of marriageable age and who
are dependent on him. It is next submitted that trial court has failed to take into
consideration that petitioner has to look after his parents and help in settling his two
sisters. It is also submitted that trial court has also ignored the fact that respondent is
capable of earning as she has done a course in interior designing. It is next submitted that
the respondent is residing with her parents.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner has strongly urged before this court that trial court
has wrongly assessed the income of the petitioner to be around 30,000/-, per month, while
there is absolutely no basis whatsoever for arriving at this incorrect figure.

5. Learned counsel for the respondent submits that petitioner has failed to make out a case
for interference under Article 227 of the Constitution of India and there is no infirmity in
the impugned order. Counsel further submits that trial court has passed the impugned
order based on correct appreciation of facts and has correctly applied the law to the facts
of the case. Counsel also submits that respondent is entitled to enjoy the same status as
she was enjoying in her matrimonial home. Counsel next submits that the parents of the
respondent had spent a large amount on the marriage of the respondent, which is evident
from the fact that besides a Honda City Car various other valuable gifts were given at the
time of marriage of the respondent to the petitioner and his family.

6. It is submitted by counsel for the respondent that it would not be expected that
the parents of the respondent would marry the respondent to a person, who is barely
earning the minimum wages and in turn would spend lavishly on the marriage. It is
further submitted that petitioner has willfully concealed the material documents
from the trial court, which has forced the trial court into guessing the income of the
petitioner, which the trial court was entitled to do in accordance with law laid down
by the Apex Court and this Court. It is also submitted that petitioner has not come
to court with clean hands. It is next submitted that an application under Order 10
Rule 2 read with Rules 12 and 14 CPC was filed by the respondent before the trial
court to direct the petitioner to place documents on record for the correct
assessment of the income of the petitioner, however, as noticed by the trial court in
para 15 of the impugned order no reply was filed to this application nor the
necessary documents were filed. It is next submitted that in view of the conduct of
the appellant the trial court has correctly drawn an adverse inference with regard to
the allegations made by the respondent. It is next submitted that trial court has
correctly placed reliance on the copies of information downloaded from the internet,
which pertain to M/s Rashi Telecom, running at C-3, Pandav Nagar, Delhi. It is next
contended by the counsel for the respondent that trial court has rightly observed in
the impugned order that a list shows the names of dealers of M/s INTEX. The name
of Rashi Telecom is listed at serial no.665, as one of its dealers. It is submitted by the
counsel for the respondent that on a perusal of the list, the name of the petitioners
appears as the contact person's name and and the address is C-3, Pandav Nagar,
Delhi, which matches with the address of the petitioner and that of Rashi Telecom
appears which is enough to show that the petitioner has an interest in Rashi Telecom
and to which there is no satisfactory explanation by the petitioner.

7. Learned counsel for the respondent submits that petitioner had neither in the
reply to the petition filed under Section 24 of Hindu Marriage Act nor at the time of
hearing of the petition before the trial court had asserted that he is responsible for
maintaining and looking after his parents and two unmarried sisters. It is further
submitted by the counsel for the respondent that, even otherwise, it is extremely
improbable that a person earning barely Rs. 6200/-, per month, would be looking his
after parents, two unmarried sisters and wife and would be maintaining a Honda
City Car received by him at the time of his marriage. Counsel further submits that
petitioner has not disputed before the trial court that besides working as a Sales
Supervisor, he is also helping his mother in the running of the shop.

8. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in case it is presumed that petitioner is
earning out of the shop which is being run by the mother then the income from the said
shop should be divided into six parts and not that the petitioner alone would be earning
Rs. 10,000/-, per month.

12. It is settled position of law that a wife is entitled to live in a similar status as was
enjoyed by her in her matrimonial home. It is the duty of the courts to ensure that it
should not be a case that one spouse lives in a life of comfort and luxury while the other
spouse lives a life of deprivation, poverty. During the pendency of divorce proceedings
the parties should be able to maintain themselves and should be sufficiently entitled to be
represented in judicial proceedings. If in case the party is unable to do so on account of
insufficient income, the other spouse shall be liable to pay the same. (See Jasbir Kaur
Sehgal (Smt.) v. District Judge, Dehradun & Others, reported at (1997) 7 Supreme Court
Cases 7).

13. A Single Judge of this Court in the case of Bharat Hegde v. Saroj Hegde, reported at
140 (2007) DLT 16 has culled out 11 factors, which can be taken into consideration for
deciding the application under Section 24 of Hindu Marriage Act.

14. Further it has been noticed by the Courts that the tendency of the spouses in
proceedings for maintenance is to not truthfully disclose their true income. However, in
such cases some guess work on the part of Court is permissible.

17. These are some of the factors, which may be considered by any court in guesstimating
or having a rough idea or to guess the income of a spouse. It has repeatedly been held by
the Courts that one cannot ignore the fact that an Indian woman has been given an equal
status under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India and she has a right to live in
dignity and according to the status of her husband. In this case, the stand taken by the
respondent with respect to his earning is unbelievable.

18. In the instant case, admittedly the petitioner is a graduate and is pursuing MBA
by distant learning since the year 2007. The petitioner has rendered a faint
explanation that he could not complete the MBA on account of being mentally
disturbed, due to the marital discord. Though the petitioner has made a vague
averment that the respondent is capable of maintaining herself as she has done a
course in interior decoration however no documents were placed on record in
support of the same. Petitioner has placed on record of the trial court a certificate
and a letter of appointment issued by M/s Kishan Lal Enterprises to show that he is
earning Rs. 6500/-, per month. In my view the letter of appointment and the
certificate is unreliable on account of circumstances and the manner in which the
marriage was conducted between the parties. In view of the fact that it is not
disputed that at the time of marriage the family of the respondent had presented
Honda City Car to the petitioner, it is highly improbable that the family of the
respondent would marry their daughter to a person, who is earning Rs.6500/-, per
month. The trial court has analyzed the income of the petitioner, based on facts of
the instant case and especially, in view of the fact that petitioner chose not to file any
reply to the application filed by the respondent under Order 10 Rule 2 read with
Rules 12 and 14 CPC. In fact, this could have been an opportunity for the petitioner
to truthfully bring his financial particulars on record unless he wanted to conceal his
true income. Having chosen not to file any reply an adverse inference is bound to be
drawn against the petitioner. Another factor, which is to be considered is that
assuming that petitioner is looking after his two unmarried sisters and parents, Rs.
6500/- is not an amount in which he would be able to look after four members of his
family and also maintain himself together with the fact that it is admitted that
mother is running a shop. Further, based on the list of dealers that was downloaded
from the internet and placed on record it prima facie shows that the petitioner is a
dealer. Additionally, even if the stand of the petitioner is to be believed that the
mother of the petitioner is carrying on her own business, it cannot be said that she is
dependent on the petitioner. Further, in view of the fact that the mother of the
petitioner is carrying out her own business, it is highly improbable that the
unmarried sisters of the petitioner would be dependent on the petitioner who is
stated to be earning a meager sum of Rs. 6,200/- per month. As far as earning from
the shop, which is being run by the mother of the petitioner, is concerned, in the
absence of any clear assessment with regard to the income, which the petitioner has
himself chosen not to disclose, no benefit can be given to the petitioner on the basis
of this submission. In my opinion, the trial court has rightly applied the law to the
facts of this case. Thus, I find no infirmity in the order passed by learned trial court,
which requires interference under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.
Accordingly, petition stands dismissed. CM NO.2045/2011 (STAY)

19. In view of the orders passed in the petition, application stands dismissed.