'Acrimony, bitterness defined their relationship': Supreme Court grants divorce to couple, living separately for 15 yrs

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has allowed a man's plea for divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage, rejecting the wife's opposition to it, having noted that the couple have been living separately for 15 years.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta asked the man to pay Rs 1 Crore as permanent alimony to the wife and a minor child.

Dealing with the woman's plea related to maintenance, the court found the attempt at reconciliation through the Supreme Court Mediation Centre did not yield any positive result.

"Years of acrimony and bitterness have defined their relationship, and despite the appellant-wife contesting the grant of divorce, we find that no marital bond survives between them," the bench said.

In these circumstances, the court felt, there is no purpose in perpetuating a legal relationship that has ceased to have any meaning.

"Therefore, we find this a fit case to grant a decree of divorce using our powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India,'' the bench said.

The parties got married on October 5, 2009.

The appellant-wife alleged mental and physical harassment by her in-laws, which led her to leave the matrimonial home on April 15, 2010.

While living at her parental home, the appellant-wife gave birth to their son on December 28, 2010.

The bench found the parties have been living separately since April 15, 2010, more than fifteen years now.

During the proceedings, the man urged the court to invoke its power under Article 142 of the Constitution to grant him divorce on irretrievable breakdown of marriage.

He made the offer of Rs 1 crore as permanent alimony and towards all pending dues, which the court found as "a just, fair and reasonable amount".

Upon the receipt of money within three months, the court ordered neither party would raise any further claim against the other.

"However, this shall not preclude the respondent father from contributing for the child’s education. All pending proceedings, civil or criminal, arising out of this marriage, shall by virtue of this order, stand quashed and closed,'' the bench said.