Case: Vinita Saxena Vs. Pankaj Pandit

2. The short facts are as follows: The marriage between the appellant-Vinita Saxena and the respondent-Pankaj Pandit was soleminzed on 7.2.1993 as per Hindu rites and customs. No child was born out of wedlock. The marriage, according to the appellant, lasted for five months and was never consummated on account of the fact that the respondent was incapable of performing his matrimonial obligations. According to the appellant, from the first day of the marriage, the respondents mother treated the appellant with utmost cruelty both mental and physical and that the reason for cruelty was the respondents mental disorder. The respondents case is a case of Paranoid Schizophrenia and the appellant discovered only after the marriage that the respondent was under constant treatment and observations of different doctors even prior to the marriage for the said ailment. Though the appellant knew the respondent prior to her marriage, in fact, it is only after the marriage, the appellant realised and discovered the mental disorder of the respondent.3. The appellant was never told by the respondent nor his parents that he was suffering from such serious mental disorder and that he was under the treatment and used to take strong medicines before the marriage. According to Dr. C.R. Samanta, who was a consultant psychiatrist at Aashlok Hospital, the respondent was a case of Schizophrenia and depression. On 4.7.1993, the appellant tried to discuss regarding the problems she was facing with the respondent and her mother- in-law, who objected strongly and accused the appellant of defaming the respondent. At her instance, the appellant was beaten mercilessly by the respondent, which made him nervous to the extent that he consumed "Baygon Spray" to commit suicide. The appellant and her brother immediately took the respondent to the hospital in order to save the respondents life. Again, Dr. C.R. Samantha prescribed certain medicines i.e. (1) Triperidol (2) Pacitane (3) Prodep to the respondent. The respondent was hospitalised for four days at Aashlok Hospital, Safdarjung Enclave and was discharged after giving proper treatment on 7.7.1993. According to the appellant, Triperidol is given in case of acute and chronic psychoses anxiety disorders, mania, Schizophrenia as per the medical advise. The situation further became worse on 8.7.1993 and 9.7.1993. Again on the instigation of the respondents mother, the respondent slapped and abused the appellant mercilessly and she was not even allowed to have food that day and the next day morning i.e. on 9.7.1993.4. On 9.7.1993, the appellant was pushed and kicked out of the matrimonial home by her mother-in-law and the respondent and thereafter, the appellant was not permitted to return again. The appellant filed H.M.A. Petition on 30.6.1994 against the respondent for dissolution of marriage under Section 13(1)(1-a) and (iii) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 hereinafter referred to as "the Act" on the grounds of mental and physical cruelty and insanity before the Court of District Judge at Delhi. The trial Court vide its order dated 15.5.1993, relying on the facts and averments made by the parties as well as taking the medical documents placed on record observed that a letter of request should be written to the Medical Superintendent, L.N.J.P. Hospital to constitute a panel of doctors to examine the respondent and to report about his mental state. However, this order was subsequently set aside by the High Court in a Revision Petition filed by the respondent. After the marriage had broken down the appellant pursued further studies and completed M.S. (Structural Engineering) from IIT Delhi and in 1996, left for her Ph.D. programme to U.S.A. Father of the appellant, J.S. Saxena, deposed as PW-II and the appellant as PW-I and Dr. D.S. Arora, Medical Superintendent, Aashlok Hospital and Dr Kuldeep Kumar of Safdarjung Hospital recorded their statement as PW-III and PW-IV respectively supporting the case of the appellant. The respondent, however, got only his statement recorded and before his cross-examination could be concluded, deliberately did not appear in the witness box to complete his deposition. The trial Court, vide order dated 19.3.2001, dismissed the petition filed by the appellant under Section 13(1)(1-a) and (iii) of the Act for the grant of decree of divorce.5. Being aggrieved by the said order, the appellant filed an appeal before the High Court. The High Court vide order dated 10.9.2004 dismissed the appeal filed by the appellant holding that the respondent is not suffering from Schizophrenia and that there is insufficient material on record to establish the cause of cruelty and further held that the incidents of cruelty is not so grave which come within the scope of concept of cruelty. The High Court also held that the testimonies of the doctors examined by the appellant to prove that the respondent was suffering from Schizophrenia cannot be looked into for the reason that the respondent was not under the treatment of the above doctors. Aggrieved by the said order, the appellant filed this appeal by way of special leave petition before this Court.

Court's reasoning:
22. In our view, the trial Court failed to appreciate the uncontroverted evidence of the appellant who had proved the case on every count. It has been established beyond doubt by the Medical doctors who had deposed as witnesses and brought the original medical record of the respondent that the respondent is suffering from mental disorder. Further ground for grant of divorce on the plea of mental insanity/mental disorder is different than cruelty. The appellant, in our view, had proved beyond doubt that the respondent suffered from mental disorder and that the appellant suffered cruelty by and at the behest of the respondent. Learned single Judge of the High Court failed to appreciate that in the absence of any evidence led by the respondent, the appellants evidence had to be relied upon and on the basis of the evidence, the decree for divorce was bound to be granted in favour of the appellant. The appellant had also given specific instances of cruelty which clearly establish that she had a reasonable apprehension that it will be harmful or injurious for her to live with the respondent.It is settled by catena of decisions that mental cruelty can cause even more serious injury than the physical harm and create in the mind of the injured appellant such apprehension as is contemplated in the Section. It is to be determined on whole facts of the case and the matrimonial relations between the spouses. To amount to cruelty, there must be such wilful treatment of the party which caused suffering in body or mind either as an actual fact or by way of apprehension in such a manner as to render the continued living together of spouses harmful or injurious having regard to the circumstances of the case. The word cruelty has not been defined and it has been used in relation to human conduct or human behaviour. It is the conduct in relation to or in respect of matrimonial duties and obligations. It is a course of conduct and one which is adversely affecting the other. The cruelty may be mental or physical, intentional or unintentional. There may be cases where the conduct complained of itself is bad enough and per se unlawful or illegal. Then the impact or the injurious effect on the other spouse need not be enquired into or considered. In such cases, the cruelty will be established if the conduct itself is proved or admitted. The cruelty alleged may largely depend upon the type of life the parties are accustomed to or their economic and social conditions, their culture and human values to which they attach importance.24. Judged by standard of modern civilization in the background of the cultural heritage and traditions of our society, a young and well educated woman like the appellant herein is not expected to endure the harassment in domestic life whether mental, physical, intentional or unintentional. Her sentiments have to be respected, her ambition and aspiration taken into account in making adjustment and her basic needs provided, though grievances arising from temperamentalIt must be proved that one partner in the marriage however mindless of the consequences has behaved in a way which the other spouse could not in the circumstances be called upon to endure, and that misconduct has caused injury to health or a reasonable apprehension of such injury. There are two sides to be considered in case of cruelty. From the appellants side, ought this appellant to be called on to endure the conduct? From the respondents side, was this conduct excusable? The court has then to decide whether the sum total of the reprehensible conduct was cruel. That depends on whether the cumulative conduct was sufficiently serious to say that from a reasonable persons point of view after a consideration of any excuse which the respondent might have in the circumstances, the conduct is such that the petitioner ought not be called upon to endure. As to what constitute the required mental cruelty for purposes of the said provision, will not depend upon the numerical count of such incidents or only on the continuous course of such conduct but really go by the intensity, gravity and stigmatic impact of it when meted out even once and the deleterious effect of it on the mental attitude, necessary for maintaining a conducive matrimonial home. If the taunts, complaints and reproaches are of ordinary nature only, the court perhaps need consider the further question as to whether their continuance or persistence over a period of time render, what normally would, otherwise, not be so serious an act to be so injurious and painful as to make the spouse charged with them genuinely and reasonably conclude that the maintenance of matrimonial home is not possible any longer.Spouses owe rights and duties each to the other and in their relationship they must act reasonably. In every case where cruelty exists it is possible to say that the spouse at fault has been unreasonable. The list of cruelty, therefore, should be breach of the duty to act reasonably, whether in omission or commission, causing injury to health. Such a list avoids imputing on intention where in fact none may exist. Further all such matters are foresight, desires, wishes, intention, motives, perception, obtuseness, persistence and indifference would remain relevant but merely as matter of evidence bearing upon the requirement to act reasonably or as aggravation of the matters charged. We can also take note of the fact that the respondent had filed a revision against the order of the trial Courts direction for setting up of a medical Board to examine the respondent. At the time of hearing, this Court directed the counsel for the respondent to ascertain from the respondent as to whether he is willing to submit himself for medical examination. However, the respondent refused to submit himself for medical examination and go before the medical Board. This would but confirm the contention of the appellant that the respondent is suffering from Paranoid Schizophrenia and that this Court can draw adverse inference in view of the conduct of the respondent. In the case of Smt. Uma Rani vs. Arjan Devi (supra), it has been held that unsoundness of mind may be held to beHumane aspects which this Court should consider: The appellant was 24 years of age when she got married. The marriage lasted for four to five months only when she was compelled to leave the matrimonial home. The marriage between the parties was not consummated as the respondent was not in a position to fulfil the matrimonial obligation. The parties have been living separately since 1993. 13 years have passed they have never seen each other. Both the parties have crossed the point of no return. A workable solution is certainly not possible. Parties at this stage cannot reconcile themselves and live together forgetting their past as a bad dream. Parties have been fighting the legal battle from the year 1994. The situation between the parties would lead to a irrefutable conclusion that the appellant and the respondent can never ever stay as husband and wife and the wifes stay with the respondent is injurious to her health. The appellant has done her Ph.d. The respondent, according to the appellant, is not gainfully employed anywhere. As a matter of fact, after leaving his deposition incomplete during the trial, the respondent till date has neither appeared before the trial Court nor before the High Court. The facts and circumstances of the case as well as all aspects pertain to humanity and life would give sufficient cogent reasons for us to allow the appeal and relieve the appellant from shackles and chain of the respondent and let her live her own life, if nothing less but like a human being. In our view, the orders of the Courts below have resulted in grave miscarriage of justice to the appellant who has been constrained into living with a dead relationship for over 13 years.