In Brief
The appellant, an Army officer, sought dissolution of his marriage on grounds of mental cruelty, alleging that his wife had made false and defamatory complaints against him to Army superiors and other authorities, damaging his career and reputation. The wife sought restitution of conjugal rights. The Family Court granted the divorce; the High Court reversed this, treating the conduct as ordinary marital discord. The Supreme Court held that making persistent defamatory complaints that damage a spouse's professional reputation and career constitutes mental cruelty justifying divorce. The Court restored the Family Court's decree dissolving the marriage and dismissed the wife's petition for restitution.
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