In Brief
The appellant sought divorce from his wife on grounds of cruelty and her mental illness, but the lower court rejected the petition. The Supreme Court held that while mental illness was not established (the respondent was gainfully employed as a Sanskrit Lecturer), the malicious prosecution of the appellant under Section 498-A IPC with false allegations, followed by his acquittal, amounted to cruelty justifying divorce under Section 13(1)(i-a) of the Hindu Marriage Act. The Court allowed the appeal, granted a decree of divorce, and directed the appellant to pay monthly maintenance to their minor daughter.
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