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36. The legal concept of cruelty which is not
defined by the statute is generally described as
conduct of such character as to have caused
danger to life, limb or health (bodily and mental)
or to give rise to reasonable apprehension of
such danger. The general rule in all questions of
cruelty is that the whole matrimonial relations
must be considered, that rule is of a special value
when the cruelty consists not of violent act but of
injurious reproaches, complaints, accusations or
taunts. It may be mental such as indifference and
frigidity towards the wife, denial of a company to
her, hatred and abhorrence for wife, or physical,
like acts of violence and abstinence from sexual
intercourse without reasonable cause. It must be
proved that one partner in the marriage however
mindless of the consequences has behaved in a
way which the other spouse could not in the
circumstances be called upon to endure, and that
misconduct has caused injury to health or a
reasonable apprehension of such injury. There
are two sides to be considered in case of
apprehension of such injury. There are two sides
to be considered in case of cruelty. From the
appellants, ought this appellant to be called on to
endure the conduct? From the respondent's side,
was this conduct excusable? The Court has then
to decide whether the sum total of the