In Brief
A retired Air Force Wing Commander sought divorce from his retired teacher wife on grounds of cruelty and desertion, claiming the marriage had irretrievably broken down over a 27-year separation. The High Court had found no evidence of cruelty or desertion. The Supreme Court held that while irretrievable breakdown is a discretionary ground under Article 142, it is not a mechanical formula. Respecting the 82-year-old respondent's wish not to die as a divorcee, her lifetime devotion to marriage since 1963, and her willingness to care for the aging appellant, the Court declined to dissolve the marriage. The institution of marriage holds profound spiritual value in Indian society and demands careful, equitable judicial consideration.
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