ROHINI KUMARI vs NARENDRA SINGH

The Supreme Court held that under Section 10(1)(a) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, desertion requires both physical separation and the intention to permanently end cohabitation. The Court affirmed the lower courts' findings that the wife left the matrimonial home without reasonable cause and with the intent to end the marriage, despite the husband's second marriage. The appeal was dismissed, confirming that the husband's second marriage did not constitute a reasonable cause for the wife's desertion.