Allahabad High Court: A Division Bench of Shashi Kant Gupta and Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, JJ. affirmed the Judgment of lower court granting a divorce to a lady under Section 13(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, on the ground that her husband committed forcible unnatural sex with her.
The issue, in this case, was as to whether a marriage can be dissolved on the basis of allegations of forcible unnatural sex with wife. Facts in the case were that a lady (respondent herein) lodged an FIR against her husband (appellant herein) for offences under Sections 498A, 323, 504 and 377 the Penal Code, 1860 and Sections 3 and 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. She filed a petition seeking divorce on the grounds that her husband committed forcible unnatural sex with her several times after marriage. On her refusal to comply with his demands, he beat her up and threatened to not spare her 5-year old daughter and make sexual relations with her as well. He also demanded Rs 40 lakhs and a car in dowry after marriage. She was granted divorce on the basis of her allegations. Husband challenged the judgment of the lower court by way of the present appeal, on the ground that there was no evidence of dowry demand, harassment or unnatural sex. Further, it was argued that medical report had been ignored and the lower court had relied upon the unsupported solitary statement of his wife by ignoring contradictions in her own testimony.
The Court pointed out that no cross-examination had been done by the husband on the point of unnatural sex because of which it was assumed that those facts had been proved against him. Regarding the contention that wife’s statements were not supported by any witnesses, it was concluded that all the matrimonial wrongs were done inside the wedlock which meant that these were private affairs of the parties. Hence, gathering independent witnesses was not possible. Regarding medical examination, it was concluded that the petition for divorce was filed much after the date of the incident of unnatural sex and sodomy so the medical report could not be obtained.
The Court agreed with the view taken by the Kerala High Court in Bini T. John v. Saji Kuruvila, 1997 SCC OnLine Ker 27 and Karnataka High Court in Grace Jayamani v. E.P. Peter, 1981 SCC OnLine Kar 208 that unnatural sex, sodomy, oral sex and sex against the order of the nature, against the wishes of a woman or wife was a criminal offence and a marital wrong amounting to cruelty which was a good ground for dissolution of marriage. It was observed that the standard of proof required in a matrimonial case is preponderance of probability.
The Court also noted that appellant’s first wife had divorced him for similar reasons, which fact supported the wife as far as unnatural sex was concerned. It was held that since the wife was not a consenting party, she would not be in the position of an accomplice; and her testimony could be accepted without corroboration if it inspired confidence. Thus, the impugned judgment was affirmed and the appeal was dismissed.[Sanjeev Gupta v. Ritu Gupta, 2019 SCC OnLine All 2255, decided on 24-05-2019]