In Brief
A husband sought divorce from his wife on grounds of mental cruelty. The Family Court granted the divorce, but the High Court reversed it. The Supreme Court restored the Family Court's decree. The wife had attempted suicide by locking herself in a bathroom and pouring kerosene on her body, made false allegations of extramarital affairs, and persistently demanded the husband separate from his elderly parents for financial gain. The Court held that repeated suicide threats, baseless character accusations, and coercion to abandon family obligations constitute mental cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act, warranting divorce. The Court noted that sons have a moral duty to support parents in Indian society, and the High Court's reversal was unjustified.
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