Raipur, September 25: In a landmark judgment, the Chhattisgarh High Court on September 3 upheld a family court order dissolving a marriage, ruling that the wife’s habit of calling her husband a “paaltu chuha” (pet rat) for obeying his parents constituted cruelty. The division bench of Justices Rajani Dubey and Amitendra Kishore Prasad dismissed the wife’s appeal against the 2019 family court decision, stating that the evidence substantiated the husband’s claims of mental cruelty and desertion.

The husband had alleged that his wife provoked him against his parents, insisted on separation, and became aggressive when he refused to comply. She allegedly tried to inflict self-harm during pregnancy and repeatedly insulted him by referring to him as a “pet rat” of his parents. He presented texts and testimonies from family members showing that the wife frequently disrespected elders and refused to adjust to a joint family setup. In court, the wife admitted to sending a message asking him to leave his parents and stay with her. 'Wife's Repeated Absence From Matrimonial Home Amounts to Cruelty': Delhi High Court Upholds Family Court Order Granting Decree of Divorce to Husband.

The bench observed that, in the Indian social context, forcing a spouse to abandon parents amounts to mental cruelty. It also noted that the wife’s prolonged stay at her parental home, except for a brief return in 2011, met the legal threshold for desertion. Consequently, the court rejected her plea for restitution of conjugal rights, stating that her conduct undermined her case. Wife Consuming Alcohol Is Not Cruelty to Husband Unless It Causes Her To Act in Unwarranted Manner, Says Allahabad High Court While Deciding Man's Plea Seeking Divorce.

While affirming the divorce, the court directed the husband to pay INR 5 lakh as permanent alimony to the wife. The verdict reinforces that repeated disrespect, attempts to alienate a spouse from their family, and psychological harassment can be legally recognised as valid grounds for divorce under Indian law.

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