False Adultery Allegations Against Wife Amount to Mental Cruelty: Karnataka High Court

False Adultery Allegations Against Wife Amount to Mental Cruelty: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has ruled that making false adultery accusations against a spouse amounts to mental cruelty and is not a valid reason for divorce. The division bench of Justices KS Mudagal and KV Aravind set aside a 2011 divorce decree granted to a husband, stating that such false claims were self-inflicted cruelty on the wife.

Case Background

The couple got married in May 1999. In 2003, the husband approached the Family Court, seeking divorce, claiming that:

• His wife stayed with her parents for at least 15 days a month.
• She frequently argued with him.
• She was involved in adultery and performed black magic on him.

The Family Court dismissed the adultery allegations but still granted divorce on the grounds of cruelty. The wife challenged this decision in the Karnataka High Court.

Court’s Observations

The High Court ruled that the husband’s unproven allegations against his wife, including:

• Adultery accusations
• Doubting their child’s paternity and forcing them to undergo DNA tests
• Accusing her of black magic
• Claiming she gave him drugs without any medical proof

These accusations amounted to mental cruelty against the wife.

The court further noted that the husband’s own admissions contradicted his claims:

• The wife visited her parents once every three months, which is a normal family practice.
• There was no evidence that she performed black magic or administered drugs.
• The dowry demands made by the husband further weakened his credibility.

Court’s Final Decision

The court concluded that the husband made false allegations to misuse the legal system and that his conduct warranted strict action. It ruled that:

• False adultery allegations amount to mental cruelty.
• The husband cannot benefit from his own wrongdoing.
• Divorce cannot be granted based on unsubstantiated claims.
• The wife’s appeal was allowed, and the divorce decree was overturned.
• The husband was fined ₹10,000 for abusing the legal process.

Conclusion

This ruling reinforces that false accusations in marriage can be considered mental cruelty under Indian law. It also emphasizes that divorce cannot be granted without solid proof of cruelty.

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