SASHI BALA ANAND Vs. PREM PAL ANAND

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The respondent-husband Filed matrimonial ease against the appellant-wife for divorce on the ground of cruelty. It is not necessary to set. out the pleadings as the learned Additional District Judge had noticed all facts. In support of his case, the respondent-husband examined Public Witness 2 to Public Witness 5 and himself as Public Witness 1.

(2.) The appellant-wife besides examining herself as R.W.1, examined R.W.2 to R.W.6. The learned Additional District Judge after analysing the evidence placed on record observed:- , "On the face of the above evidence brought on record,-the question is as to whether the parties have been able to establish their respective versions and whether on the basis of the established facts, the respondent can be held guilty of the matrimonial offence of cruelty as envisaged inSec.13(1)(ia) of the Act. In this case not only the petitioner but the respondent has also alleged anumber of instances which could amount to cruel treatment-to her. However, since it is the petitioner who is claiming the relief of dissolution of marrige on the ground of cruelty, it is the instances of cruel act, conduct and behaviour as setup by him which need 'to be: scrutinised in detail because the success or failure of this petition will largely depend upon those instances of cruelty. The averments and allegations made by the respondent in her defence and -if can be said to have been established may be relevant in order to unsuit the petitioner on the premises that he .wants 'to-take advantage of his own mis- deeds/wrongs."

(3.) Dealing with Ex. R-1 the letter dated 6.9.1976, the learned Additional District Judge would observe:- "This is a typed written letter dated 6.9.1976 and is admittedly signed by the petitioner. In this writing no doubt there is a clear cut admission on the part of the petitioner that the respondent could not be accepted back in the matrimonial home until and unless demand of Rs.l5,000.00 is fulfilled by the respondent's side. The petitioner has denied having sent any such letter to the respondent and on the other hand his case is that this is a forged writing having been manufactured by the-respondent for the purpose of this petition. The contention of the petitioner cannot be said to be without force because a bare reading of the contents of this letter/writing would cast a serious doubt in anybody's mind that petitioner would have made such a writing. Even otherwise, the other facts and circumstances which have been brought on record would pointedly suggest that this writing could not have been made by the petitioner and in any case of his own accord and volition. I say so because though from the very beginning the case of the respondent was that the petitioner side felt dis-contented over the dowry and they wanted a sum of Rs.l5,000.00 to make out the deficiency, still in the notice Ex.P.3 dated 14.6.1978 sent by the respondent to the petitioner, she made no mention of either of this amount or the purpose for which the petitioner was pressing more money. On the other hand, there is an averment about a demand of Rs.5,500.00 ,Rs.6,000.00 etc. Strangely enough this notice contains no mention about the demand of Rs. 15,00.00 made by the petitioner to raise the financial status of the petitioner as stated in Ex. R-1. Yet another circumstance which would believe the genuineness of Ex.R-1 is that though this was a very material piece of evidence for the purpose of the case under dowry prohibition Act, the respondent for the reasons best known to her did not file it in those proceedings and preserved the same for the purpose of this case."