The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled against granting permanent alimony to a wife living in adultery, following a divorce decree for cruelty and adultery. The Court found that her claim for alimony was invalid given her actions before the divorce.
The Bombay High Court rejected a wife’s plea to overturn a divorce decree, citing her absence during the hearings despite multiple summons being issued. The court ruled that the wife, who had filed criminal cases against her husband, was aware of the legal process and chose not to attend.
The Supreme Court ruled that a working wife with a sufficient salary is not entitled to maintenance. However, it awarded ₹30 lakhs for the daughter’s care and upheld the divorce, citing irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.
The Madras High Court has ruled that removing a mangalsutra is severe mental cruelty, leading to a divorce decree for the husband. The court highlighted the significance of this act in Hindu marriage traditions.
In a recent judgment, the Chhattisgarh High Court declared that accusing a husband of having an illicit relationship with his mother is a form of mental cruelty. The court overturned the family court’s denial of divorce, granting the husband’s appeal while setting a monthly maintenance of ₹35,000 for the wife.
The Delhi High Court confirmed a Family Court’s decision to grant a divorce, highlighting that false accusations of extra-marital affairs are a serious attack on a spouse’s character and health, amounting to mental cruelty.
The Kerala High Court ruled that remarrying while a divorce appeal is pending does not constitute bigamy, provided the appeal is later dismissed. The decision clarifies legal standing on subsequent marriages during pending appeals.
The Karnataka High Court ruled that a wife’s demand for a separate house and her filing of a criminal case do not constitute “cruelty” for divorce purposes.
In November 2019, the Karnataka High Court upheld a divorce granted to a man who submitted video evidence of his wife’s adultery, recorded while he was away. The court emphasized the legitimacy of the evidence and dismissed the wife’s appeal.
The Kerala High Court recently ruled that refusing mental health treatment for the sake of a harmonious marriage constitutes cruelty to a spouse. The court dismissed a woman’s appeal against a divorce decree granted on grounds of cruelty and desertion.
