In Brief
A couple married in 1994 lived together for only four years before separating. For the next 25 years, they remained estranged and engaged in bitter litigation. The husband sought divorce on grounds of cruelty and desertion; the trial court granted it, but the High Court rejected it, finding mere filing of criminal cases did not constitute cruelty. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that an irretrievably broken marriage—marked by quarter-century separation, complete absence of cohabitation, multiple failed reconciliation attempts, and mutual acrimony—itself constitutes cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act. The marriage was dissolved; the husband was ordered to pay the wife permanent alimony of Rs. 30 lakh.
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