Mistreating Husband’s Children from First Marriage Is Mental Cruelty : Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that a wife’s ill-treatment of her husband’s minor children from his first marriage amounts to mental cruelty under Section 10(1)(x) of the Divorce Act, 1869.

A division bench of Justices Sathish Ninan and P. Krishna Kumar upheld the Family Court’s divorce decree in favour of the husband, who alleged persistent mistreatment of his stepchildren, neglect of his sick father, harassment, and even alleged sorcery by his wife.

The wife denied the claims and sought maintenance. The High Court partly allowed her revision petition and raised her maintenance from ₹6,000 to ₹15,000 per month after taking into account the husband's financial capacity.