The Delhi High Court has set aside a Family Court judgment and granted a decree of divorce to a husband on the grounds of cruelty under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (HMA). The Division Bench of Justice Anil Kshetarpal and Justice Renu Bhatnagar ruled that the principle of “clean hands” cannot be invoked to deny relief to a petitioner who has successfully proved cruelty, merely based on unsubstantiated counter-allegations by the respondent.

Summary of Legal Issue and Outcome

The core legal question before the Division Bench was whether the Family Court erred in concluding that cruelty was not proved and whether it correctly invoked the principle that a party must approach the Court with “clean hands” to deny relief. The High Court held that Section 23(1)(a) of the

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