Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 provides for divorce. According to this section, 1. any marriage solemnized, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, may, on a petition presented by either parties, be dissolved by a decree of divorce on the ground that the other party— a) has, after the solemnization of the marriage, had voluntary sexual intercourse with any person other than his or her spouse; or has, after the solemnization of the marriage, treated the petitioner with cruelty or has deserted the petitioner for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the petition b) has ceased to be a Hindu by conversion to another religion c) has been incurably of unsound mind, or has been suffering continuously or intermittently from mental disorder of such a kind and to such an extent that the petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to live with the respondent. d) has been suffering from a virulent and incurable form of leprosy; e) has been suffering from venereal disease in a communicable form f) has renounced the world by entering any religious order g) has not been heard of as being alive for a period of seven years or more by those persons who would naturally have heard of it, had that party been alive. 1-A. The parties can also seek divorce on the following grounds: a) that there has been no resumption of cohabitation as between the parties to the marriage for a period of i year or more after the passing of a decree for judicial separation in a proceeding to which they were parties b) that there has been no restitution of conjugal rights as between the parties to the marriage for a period of 1 year or more after the passing of a decree for restitution of conjugal rights in a proceeding to which they were parties.
