SUSHMA Vs. SATISH CHANDER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is a wife's appeal against the grant of a decree of divorce under Sec. 13(1)(ib) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (to be referred to in brief as "the Act").

(2.) The appellant, Sushma was married to the respondent, Satish Chander, according to Hindu rites on 10th Dec., 1974. Satish Chander had passed his intermediate examination in Hindi Prabhakar whereas Sushma was a graduate at the time. Subsequently after the marriage and before the petition was filed, she had completed her Master of Arts course. They lived together as man and wife at 57/14, Ashok Nagar, New Delhi. Some time in June, 1975 Sushma went to Rohtak to attend her cousin's marriage.

(3.) According to Satish Chander, Sushma did not return to the matrimonial home thereafter, despite the fact that he as also his sister and brother-in-law went to bring her back. Sushma, however, has a different version and states that she returned to Delhi after her cousin's marriage but was turned out of the house on 14th Nov., 1975, when she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. Her mother-in-law had not been satisfied with the dowry and had been demanding a refrigerator and a television set. Sushma states that she had been taunted and not given enough to eat and was turned out on 14th Nov., 1975. After she was turned out, Satish Chander never came to Rohtak to bring her back.