Jaipur, Feb 13 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court, on Friday, refused to dissolve a 58-year-old marriage between a couple aged above 75 years, saying that minor disagreements and routine quarrels cannot be treated as cruelty to justify divorce.

A division bench of Justice Sudesh Bansal and Justice Anil Kumar Upman dismissed the husband’s appeal, noting that granting divorce at this stage would harm the dignity and reputation of not only the wife but the entire family.

The court issued the order while upholding the Family Court, Bharatpur’s decision rejecting the husband’s divorce petition.

The court noted that the couple married on June 29, 1967, and lived together without any complaints until 2013, a fact acknowledged by the husband in his divorce petition filed on May 26, 2014.

The bench said that when a couple lives together for more than 46 years without disputes, their tolerance and understanding naturally increase with age.

Issues that may trouble spouses in the early years of marriage often become easier to manage in later life.

The husband said that his wife filed a false dowry harassment case against him in 2014, which the police found baseless.

He claimed the case caused him humiliation and damaged his reputation.

He also alleged that his wife wanted to transfer all immovable property to their elder son, while he preferred equal distribution between their two sons.

He accused his wife of neglecting him and making allegations of illicit relationships.

The wife countered that her husband was wasting and dividing family property and filed for divorce under the influence of his younger brother.

She alleged that her husband had illicit relationships and had invited another woman into his room, leading to conflict and her filing an FIR.

She also claimed that the property in question was purchased by her personally.

The High Court held that property disputes and family differences cannot be considered sufficient grounds to dissolve the marriage of an elderly couple.

The court also noted that although the police termed the dowry harassment complaint false, they did not find the allegation of another woman being present in the husband’s room to be false.

–IANS

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