"The feeling of deep anguish, disappointment and frustration in one spouse caused by the conduct of the other for a long time can be deemed mental cruelty," maintained an order passed by the principal judge of the family court, while granting divorce to a high ranking MCGM official. The court did not grant (permanent) alimony to the official's wife since she had not claimed it.

The official filed the divorce petition in December 2010 on grounds that his wife was constantly harassing him and her act amounted to mental cruelty. As per his petition, the two were married on Dec 14, 1985 when he was an officer in the army. The marriage took place in Jammu. After serving the Army for a few years, he joined MSRTC, and was currently serving as a deputy municipal commissioner in Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

In the petition, the official says wife had deceived him by not informing her correct age and that he had later come to know that she was five years elder to him.

"She did not use to spot a bindi, an auspicious symbol of a married woman. She was blowing trivial matters out of proportion causing major fights. She was absolutely non-cooperative in every respect. She would not take care of my parents and because of her behavior, (I) had to keep (my) old mother in an old age home. At one point of time, she visited (my) office and complained about (me) to the municipal commissioner as well as other staff members and gave the mangalsutra and cash amount to (my) personal assistant (PA)," reads the petition.

When the court asked the official's wife to file a reply, she alleged that the official had entered into a relationship with the wife of one of his colleagues and that was the main reason why she fought with her husband.

The court, after going through the evidence brought on record, maintained: "The wife's behavior—constantly quarreling with the husband loudly while in the building and on the streets—caused the husband pain and mental anguish; once she even when to his office and humiliated him by meeting the municipal commissioner and complained that her husband was having an affair with the wife of his colleague and alleged that they had gone on a foreign trip to enjoy, when on the contrary the husband of the said lady had accompanied the two on the trip and placed on record that they had gone for an official conference. These are grave and weighty instances of cruelty committed by the wife towards the husband."

The court holding that the husband had proved his point, granted the official divorce.