A wife mocking or taunting her husband for unemployed considered as mental cruelty, according to a ruling by the Chhattisgarh High Court. The court heard the case and dissolved the marriage of a 52-year-old man, granting him a divorce on these grounds, as reported by Live Law.
The two-judge panel, consisting of Justice Rajani Dubey and Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad, stated, “A spouse’s behavior, including verbal arguments and unreasonable demands, can constitute mental cruelty, lead divorce.”
Chhattisgarh High Court grant divorce to 52 year old man
Anil Kumar Sonmani had previously applied for a divorce, but the lower family court denied his request. The High Court accepted his appeal, overturned the earlier decision, and granted him a divorce.
The couple married in 1996 in Bhilai and has two children, a son and a daughter. The court learned that their marriage encountered difficulties after Sonmani’s wife earned her PhD and took a high-profile job as a principal at a school.
Sonmani, a lawyer, reported that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the courts closed, his wife mocked and humiliated him. She made unreasonable demands and even referred to him as unemployed. The judges noted, “It is clearly said that after obtaining a PhD and getting a well-paying job as a Principal, the respondent’s behavior toward the appellant changed significantly.”
Taunting on unemployment is Mental Cruelty
“She was disrespectful, mocked him for unemployed during the Covid-19 pandemic, and engaged in repeated arguments over trivial issues. These actions clearly amount to mental cruelty as recognized by law,” they added.
Sonmani revealed that the situation worsened in 2020 when his wife left the home with their 19-year-old daughter, leaving their 16-year-old son with him. She signed a letter stating she was severing all ties with him and their son, which she submitted to a police station in Bhilai.
Before delivering the verdict, the Chhattisgarh High Court observed that the wife neither appeared in court nor provided any response, despite receiving a notice.
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