The Orissa High Court has recently ruled on multiple cases emphasizing that no individual can be compelled to endure a marriage filled with suffering. In a landmark judgment, the court granted divorce to a man against whom his wife had filed 45 FIRs, stating that continuous legal harassment amounts to mental cruelty, a valid ground for divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
Key Judgments:
1.Case of BRP v. SP (March 12, 2025)
- Couple separated in 2013 and lived apart for over 12 years.
- High Court granted divorce on grounds of desertion and irretrievable breakdown.
- Wife awarded ₹18 lakhs as permanent alimony.
2.Case of Laxmi Narayan Singh v. Sunitaprava Jenamani (September 12, 2024)
- Husband accused wife of false police complaints and desertion.
- Family Court dismissed the petition, but the High Court overturned the decision.
- Divorce granted with ₹5 lakhs in alimony.
3.Case of Anubhav Mohanty v. Varsha Priyadarshini (December 21, 2023)
- High-profile case involving actor-MP Anubhav Mohanty and actress Varsha Priyadarshini.
- Divorce granted on grounds of non-consummation of marriage and mental cruelty.
- High Court overturned Family Court’s decision.
These judgments reaffirm that false allegations, harassment, and prolonged separation constitute mental cruelty, allowing courts to grant divorce in such cases.