Case Analysis Of Mr. G.V.N. Kameswara Rao Vs. Mrs. G. Jabilli (2002) 2 SCC 296

Divyang Dashrath Salvi, Symbiosis Law School, Pune

BEFORE THE HON’BLE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA(Before the Hon’ble Justice D.P. Mohapatra and Hon’ble Justice K.G. Balakrishnan)

Mr. G.V.N. Kameswara Rao ... Appellant

Vs.

Mrs. G. Jabilli ... Respondent

(Decided on January 10, 2002)

FACTS:

This is a divorce petition where Mr. G.V.N Kameswara Rao, the Appellant, and Mrs. G. Jabilli, the Respondent, married on 30th July 1979. At the time of marriage, the Appellant having double PhDs was working in the USA, and the Respondent having a postgraduate qualification in Home Science was working as a lecturer. On 10th June 1981, they had a daughter, Sandhya. Their marital life was troublesome right from the very beginning. In 1982, the family returned to India for a visit, and in November the Appellant returned to the USA, but the Respondent did not join the Appellant for 6 months, intentionally. Things came to head when the Respondent left the USA and returned to India in 1985 with her daughter, staying in Araku Valley with her sister, Suryakantham, without the knowledge of the Appellant, and tried to prevent the Appellant from entering her sister’s house when Appellant came back to India to visit her. The Respondent also filed a criminal complaint against the Appellant and his mother for domestic violence, but the explanation given by the Respondent was far from satisfactory for the Police official. In 1985, the Appellant filed for a divorce petition.