law: Indian Divorce Act, 1869 
  52. Competence of husband and wife to give evidence as to
  
  cruelty or desertion  
  On any petition presented by a wife, praying that her marriage
  
  may be dissolved by reason of her husband having been guilty of adultery coupled
  
  with cruelty, or adultery coupled with desertion without reasonable excuse, the
  
  husband and wife respectively shall be competent and compellable to give
  
  evidence of or relating to such cruelty or desertion.