Sudeep from Madhya Pradesh sought a divorce from his wife Moumita, citing her persistent refusal for conjugal relations since their 2006 marriage. Despite their marital discord, the Bhopal Family Court initially denied the divorce plea.
Sudeep claimed Moumita, from the onset of their marriage, declined intimate relations, alleging coercion into the marriage and revealing an extramarital affair. Sudeep moved to his parents' house in 2006 and faced false dowry harassment charges in 2013, leading to his parents' arrest. Moumita accepted a settlement of Rs 10 lakh but later filed another complaint.
Sudeep appealed the Family Court's decision in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The court, led by Justice Shil Nagu, acknowledged Moumita's persistent refusal for conjugal relations as a form of mental cruelty. Notably, Moumita or her representation failed to deny Sudeep's allegations during the proceedings.
The court emphasized that the denial of a marital relationship and the wife's refusal for conjugal relations constituted mental cruelty. The lack of a counter-narrative from Moumita further strengthened Sudeep's case. Consequently, the Madhya Pradesh High Court granted Sudeep's plea for divorce, recognizing the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.