Karnataka High Court: Husband’s False Allegations of Adultery Amount to Mental Cruelty
The Karnataka High Court has ruled that making false and baseless accusations of adultery against one’s spouse amounts to mental cruelty and is not a valid reason to seek divorce.
A division bench of Justice KS Mudagal and Justice KV Aravind made this observation while hearing a wife’s appeal against a 2011 divorce decree granted to her husband.
Case Background
The couple got married in May 1999. In 2003, the husband approached the Family Court seeking divorce. He claimed that his wife:
- Frequently visited her parental home for 15 days a month
- Had an adulterous relationship
- Practiced black magic
- Administered drugs to him to weaken his health
Although the Family Court dismissed the adultery charge, it still granted divorce on grounds of cruelty.
The wife challenged this decision before the High Court.
High Court’s Observations
The High Court found that the husband’s allegations were unproven and based purely on suspicion. It said:
“Making unsubstantiated claims about adultery, questioning the wife’s character, and even forcing her and their child to take a DNA test shows clear mental cruelty.”
The court also rejected the husband’s claims about black magic and poisoning, stating there was no medical or forensic evidence to support them.
Regarding the wife’s visits to her parents, the court found no wrongdoing:
“It is normal for a married woman to visit her parents every few months. That doesn’t amount to desertion or cruelty.”
The husband’s own admission that she visited her family once every three months was used against his claim of prolonged absence.
Wife’s Allegations and Final Verdict
The wife had also mentioned demands for dowry, which further weakened the husband’s case.
The court concluded that the husband tried to use legal processes unfairly to get a divorce and had caused emotional harm through repeated false accusations.
“It is the husband who caused mental cruelty and misused the legal system to claim divorce,” the court stated.
As a result, the divorce decree was set aside, and the court imposed a cost of ₹10,000 on the husband for his conduct.
Case Title:
Lata Kumari v. Om Prakash Mandal
Be a part our social media community:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndianMan.in?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/indianman.in?igsh=MWZ2N3N0ZmpwM3l3cw==
