JUDGEMENT
VISHNUDEO NARAYAN, J. -
(1.) THIS appeal at the instance of the appellant -wife has been preferred against the impugned judgment and decree dated 07.12.1999 and 19.07.2000, respectively passed in Matrimonial Title
Suit No. 32 of 1993 by Shri M. Thakur. 2nd Additional Judicial Commissioner, Ranchi whereby and
whereunder the Matrimonial Suit filed by respondent -husband Sadanand Das Goswami was
decreed and his marriage with his appellant wife Santoshi Devi was dissolved by a decree of
divorce. However, a sum of Rs. 300.00 per month was allowed as permanent alimony to the
appellant for her maintenance,
(2.) THE petitioner -respondent Sadanand Das Goswami had filed the said Matrimonial Suit on 10.06.1993 under Sec.13(1)(i) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 [hereinafter referred to as the said Act] for dissolution of his marriage with his appellant -wife Santoshi Devi and in the alternative for
annulment of their marriage under Sec.12(1)(d) of the said Act.
The case of the petitioner -respondent, in brief, is that his marriage was performed on 20.04.1988 with the appellant according to the Hindu religion and rites at village Kundrilong PS Ichagarh
District Singhbhum West and the appellant -wife came to her matrimonial home at village
Gundukathartoli in his company on the following day of the marriage where they lived together as
husband and wife and "Asthmangla" was held on the fourth day of their marriage in which Buda
and Durga, the brothers of the appellant -wife were present and they brought the appellant to their
house in village Kundrilong where she fell ill. It is alleged that his father went to her parent 's
house in the month of June to bring the appellant but she did not return to her matrimonial home
for the reasons that she has not recovered from her illness as per request of her father and,
thereafter he remained busy with cultivation work and he could not go to the parents house of his
wife for Roksadi and he had sent a letter to her father requesting him to send his wife to his house
before Durga Puja in the year 1988 but her father came to his house and requested his father to
allow him to go to his house before Durga Puja and enjoy the Puja festival there and after
Vijayadashmi he would arrange for the Roksadi for the appellant but he could not go to the house
of the parent of his wife as he had fallen ill. The case of the respondent -husband further is that
Durga, the brother of his wife came to his house on 16.10.1988 and informed his parents that the
appellant -wife has given birth to a female child on that day which was an utter surprise for them as
to how a child has been born within six months of the marriage and Aditya Kumar Das, the elder
brother of the respondent -husband was sent by his father in the company of Durga to the
parent 'shouse of the appellant and on his return from there he reported to his parent that a
female child has been born to the appellant -wife and, thereafter, on 21.10.1988, the father of the
respondent -husband went to see the child at Kundrilong where he expressed his suspicion in the
matter and asked her father to get the blood of the child examined at Ranchi or Tata and he further
sent two letters on 25.10.1988 and 26.10.1988 by registered post to her father intimidating him
that they had great suspicion regarding the child having been born through the respondent and
her father came to the house of this respondent on 05.11.1988 and informed that the said child
had died on 28.10.1988 and this information confirmed the suspicion of the respondent and his
parent that the appellant -wife conceived through some other person before her marriage with this
respondent. It is further alleged that the father bf the appellant wife had knowledge that the
appellant had illicit connection with some persons and she had conceived before the marriage as a
result of illicit intercourse but he kept the matter concealed and got the appellant married with this
respondent by practicing fraud and it further transpired in the month of February, 1993 that the
appellant has illicit connection with her brother -in -law. Santosh Kumar Mahanta (who was
impleaded as respondent No. 2 before the trial Court on amendment). It is also alleged that his
appellant wife is an unchaste woman and it is not at all desirable to keep her in his house and his
prestige and position in the society has been damaged as a result of his marriage with a woman of
loose character.
(3.) THE case of the appellant wife inter alia is that after solemnisation of his marriage with her respondent -husband on 20.04.988 she had gone with him to her matrimonial home where she
lived together with him for more than two and half years and only on the occasion of "Asthmangla"
she along with her husband had come to her parent 'shouse and soon, thereafter, she went
back with him to her matrimonial home. Her further case is that she returned to her parent 's
house with her father on the eve of Makar festival in 1991 with the permission of her husband and
his father and, thereafter, she was not taken back to her matrimonial home in spite of repeated
requests and, thereafter, she came to her matrimonial home in the company of her father but she
was not allowed to enter in her matrimonial home as a result of which she had to come back with
her father to her parent 'shouse and on that occasion she and her father were insulated and
humiliated by her husband and his father and also a demand of Rs. 20,000.00 for the purpose of
business and a Hero Honda motorcycle was made. Her case further is that her husband and his
father had taken a sum of Rs. 22,000.00 from her father for starting a business and the said
amount was never returned by them and further amount was also demanded and also a Hero
Honda motorcycle was demanded from her father and she was tortured to put pressure on her
father for providing a Hero Honda motorcycle and during her stay for two and half years in her
matrimonial home after the marriage she had to face constant torture from her husband and his
family members. The appellant -wife has specifically denied all the allegations alleged against her
regarding her having illicit connection with someone prior to her marriage and as a result of that
giving birth to a female child who has subsequently died and suppressing the fact of her illicit
relationship by her father solemnisation her marriage with her respondent husband and all the
allegations regarding her chastity are baseless and wild allegations. She has also denied that the
"Asthmangla" was held in her matrimonial home in which his brothers Buda and Durga had come
and with them she has returned to her parent 'shouse and the father of her husband had
come to her parent 'shouse to take her back and on the request of her father for her stay for
one month in her parent 'shouse on the ground of her illness she did not come back to her
matrimonial home as well as the fact that due to the cultivation work her husband could not go to
her parent 'shouse for Roksadi. It is also alleged that it is false to say that her husband sent
a letter to her father requesting him to bring back her to his house before Durga Puja in 1988 as
well as the fact that her father had come to the house of her husband and made a request to the
father of her husband to allow him to come to her parent 'shouse before Durga Puja. The
further case of the appellant -wife is that she has no illicit relation with any other person at the time
she was living either with her parents or with her husband and she has never given birth to any
child and any allegation in respect thereof or in connection therewith is totally false and incorrect
and the said allegation has been deliberately set up by her husband to suit his nefarious design to
get rid of her due to the non -fulfilment of the demand of money and Hero Honda motorcycle. Her
further case is that her petitioner -respondent husband has solemnised his second marriage with
the daughter of Bihari Das and she has filed Complaint Case No. 1 of 1994 against her husband
and his family members which is subjudice in the Court of Shri Som Prakash Pandey, Judicial
Magistrate, Ist Class, Seraikella for demanding dowry, treating her with cruelty and for bigamy.;
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