Apex court finds wife guilty of cruelty; husband gets divorce

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 24

The Supreme Court today granted divorce to a man after holding his wife guilty of cruelty for filing false cases against him but asked the man to give her a Rs 1-crore-flat and Rs 50 lakh as one-time permanent alimony.

“Mere filing of complaints is not cruelty… however, if it is found that the allegations are patently false, then there can be no manner of doubt that the said conduct of a spouse levelling false accusations against the other spouse would be an act of cruelty," the Bench said.

The court directed the husband to pay the alimony within three months and barred the wife from claiming any further amount at any later stage.

It granted her liberty to continue to live in the house which belonged to her mother-in-law till the husband provided her a flat of similar size in a similar locality.

The couple got married in 1989 and a son was born in 1990. They stayed together till 1999 but in March 2000, the husband left the matrimonial home and filed divorce proceedings on the ground of cruelty, contending his wife lodged false cases of domestic violence and dowry demand against him.