GEETHA Vs. MOHAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This appeal by the wife, Geeta, is against the decree made by the District Judge, Thodupuzha on 28-3-1988 in H.M.O.P. No. 143/1987 under S.13 of the Hindu Marriage Act whereby he dismissed the wife's petition for divorce. He held that the respondent, husband, Mohan did not treat her with cruelty. In this judgment the petitioner and respondent are hereinafter referred as wife and husband respectively (W and H for brevity). The facts giving rise to this petition are briefly these.

(2.) What happened during these 84 days is important. According to the wife even before the marriage and during the courtship, she noticed that H was addicted to alcohol. The marriage of the parties was a result of a romantic prelude consisting of meeting at the bus stop, self introduction by the H that he was employed in Muscat and the invitation by the W to meet her father culminating in their marriage on 4-8-1984. The W has stated the following facts about the addiction of her husband to alcohol:

(3.) On the basis of these events W has alleged that H is always under the influence of liquor. He drinks liquor thinks of liquor and breathes liquor. She found that the person she married is a slave of alcohol. The substance of her case is that her husband drinks alcohol in the morning, afternoon, evening and night. The sober moments are few and far between. The incidents narrated by her caused immense injury to her mind making it impossible to live with him.