Bengaluru, July 23 -- In a significant ruling on matrimonial law, the Karnataka High Court has observed that a Hindu marriage is not merely a contract but a sacred sacrament that carries lifelong obligations. The court held that a spouse cannot walk away from a marriage solely on the ground that he or she has lost interest in continuing the relationship, and dismissed a husband's appeal seeking divorce.

A Division Bench comprising Justice D.K. Singh and Justice T.M. Nadaf upheld the order of the Mysuru Family Court, which had rejected the husband's divorce petition while allowing the wife's plea for restitution of conjugal rights under Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.

The couple had entered into an inter-caste love marriage on...