Special Marriage Act, 1954
25. Voidable marriages
Any marriage
solemnized under this Act shall be voidable and may be annulled by a decree of
nullity if,-
(i) the marriage has
not been consummated owing to the willful refusal of the respondent to consummate
the marriage; or
(ii) the respondent
was at the time of the marriage pregnant by some person other than the
petitioner; or
(iii) the consent of
either party to the marriage was obtained by coercion or fraud, as defined in
the Indian Contract Act, 1872 :
Provided that, in the case
specified in clause (ii), the court shall not grant a decree unless it is
satisfied,-
(a) that the
petitioner was at the time of the marriage ignorant of the facts alleged;
(b) that proceedings were instituted within a year from the date of the
marriage; and
(c) that marital
intercourse with the consent of the petitioner has not taken place since the
discovery by the petitioner of the existence of the grounds for a decree :
Provided further that in the
case specified in clause (iii), the court shall not grant a decree if,-
(a) proceedings have
not been instituted within one year after the coercion had ceased or, as the
case may be, the fraud had been discovered; or
(b) the petitioner has
with his or her free consent lived with the other party to the marriage as
husband and wife after the coercion had ceased or, as the case may be, the
fraud had been discovered.