The case involves a man from Dhamtari district who married a woman from Kurud in 2018 under Hindu rites. The husband alleged that the bride and her family had misrepresented themselves as Hindus, while they were actually Muslim. Following the revelation, disputes arose over religious practices, including frequent visits to a local dargah and pressure to convert to Islam, which the husband refused.
According to court records, tensions escalated as the wife began verbally abusing her husband and eventually attempted suicide by dousing herself with kerosene and igniting a match. The husband intervened and saved her life, but the wife subsequently returned to her parental home.
The husband filed for divorce citing mental cruelty, supported by evidence of repeated threats of self-harm and persistent harassment. The High Court observed that while proving mental cruelty is challenging, persistent threatening behavior that creates fear and emotional distress for a spouse qualifies as cruelty under marriage laws.
“Such conduct makes it impossible for any husband and wife to live together peacefully. The repeated threats of suicide and the attempt itself clearly establish mental cruelty,” the court noted.
The court also emphasized that cruelty encompasses behavior causing pain, fear, and distress to a spouse, making cohabitation unsafe. Considering that the wife has been living separately from her husband since 2020, the court concluded that maintaining the marital relationship under such conditions was unfeasible. Consequently, the wife’s appeal against the divorce decree was rejected.
This ruling reinforces the legal principle that repeated threats of self-harm and coercive behavior by a spouse can constitute valid grounds for divorce under Indian law.
