Chhattisgarh Court: Suicide Threats, Religious Conversion Attempts Justify Divorce
The Chhattisgarh High Court has ruled that repeated suicide threats and persistent pressure to convert religions constitute mental cruelty in a marriage, upholding a divorce granted to a husband in Balod district.
Key Findings of the Court
A division bench of Justices Rajani Dubey and Amitendra Kishore Prasad affirmed that mental cruelty, not just physical, can be grounds for divorce. The court emphasized that actions causing "reasonable apprehension" in a spouse's mind qualify as cruelty.
Details of the Case
The case involved a husband who filed a complaint with Gurur police station in Balod district on October 14, 2019, detailing numerous suicide threats made by his wife. These threats included:
- Attempts to consume poison
- Stabbing herself with a knife
- Threatening to set herself on fire with kerosene
The husband stated he lived in constant fear due to these threats. The couple had been married in May 2018.
Husband's Testimony and Concerns
The court noted that the husband admitted during cross-examination that he had left his wife at her parental home out of fear for her safety and his own well-being. The court concluded that the wife's actions created a situation of sustained mental harassment.
Allegations of Religious Pressure
The High Court also considered testimony from a community representative who alleged that the wife and her family pressured the husband to convert to Islam. While the wife denied these allegations, the court acknowledged the testimony.
Separation and Attempts at Reconciliation
The court found that the couple had been living separately since November 2019. Despite attempts by the husband and village elders to reconcile, the wife did not return. The court determined that the wife had deserted her husband without just cause, even though she claimed she wished to resume living together and that the husband only sought divorce after she filed legal cases.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the Chhattisgarh High Court sided with the husband, affirming the family court's decision to grant the divorce based on the grounds of mental cruelty.
