RANCHI, India, Aug. 2 -- Jharkhand High Court issued the following order on July 2:

1. The instant appeal under Section 19(1) of the Family Courts Act, 1984 is directed against the order/judgment dated 13.12.2023 (decree signed on18.12.2023) passed by the learned Addl. Principal Judge, Addl. Family Court, Hazaribagh in Original Suit No. 15 of 2020, whereby and whereunder, the petition filed by the petitioner/respondent-wife under Section 13(1)(i-a)(i-b) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 seeking a decree of divorce on the ground of cruelty and desertion, has been allowed.

2. The brief facts of the case leading to filing of the divorce petition by the respondent-wife, needs to be referred herein as under:

The case in brief as per petition filed by the petitioner wife (respondent herein) before the learned Family Judge is that her marriage with the respondent husband(appellant herein) was solemnized on 28.06.2009 at Narsingh Asthan Temple, Khapriyawan, Hazaribag according to Hindu Customs and Rights and after the marriage, the petitioner and respondent started living together at village Tilra, P.S. Ichak, Distt. Hazaribag.

It is further case that at the time of marriage, her father had fulfilled all the demands of the respondent and his family members and the petitioner was kept with dignity in her Sasural for few days but soon thereafter, the respondent and his family members started subjecting cruelty and harassing the petitioner for the demand of Rs. 2 lakhs, fridge, cooler and washing machine. After 2 and half months of the marriage, the respondent and his family members started asserting that the petitioner's father, being an employee of CCL was having sufficient means to fulfill above noted demands as the cash and article demanded were for the betterment of the respondent, who himself was unemployed at that moment. The petitioner in clear words replied to the respondent and his family members that her father would not be able to fulfill such demands as he had the responsibility and liability for the marriage of his other daughters as also the responsibility of the education of his son.

Thereafter, the respondent husband and his family members started physical and mental cruelty upon the petitioner/wife and in that course on 01.10.2009, petitioner's mother-in-law had put a hot iron utensil on her waist inflicting burn injury over her waist.

The petitioner further averred that once her sister-in-law (Nanad) and her nanad's husband (Nandosi) took her to Ranchi, where in connivance with a doctor, she was given some medicine resulting in her unconsciousness.

It has further been stated that on 30.10.2009, her husband and in-laws again gave burn injury on her body with a hot iron rod and when she gave information of such atrocities to her father, he approached Ichak Police, which summoned the respondent husband and his family members and warned them of legal action if such cruel behavior continued with the petitioner. However, in spite of such rebuke by the police, there was no change in the behavior of the respondent husband and his family members and instead of keeping the petitioner in her matrimonial house with dignity, they even stopped providing her proper food and hence, the petitioner found herself helpless in her matrimonial house and informed her parents about the atrocities suffered by her.

*Rest of the document can be viewed at: (https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/ecourtindiaHC/cases/display_pdf.php?filename=bzPoyUlszYLCUcCpirIpqJ3oD6yLkNq3LbDBOAyIeodxjn5lxEGVDCv8b%2F48DBQS&caseno=FA/30/2024&cCode=1&cino=JHHC010059102024&state_code=7&appFlag=)

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