GUWAHATI: The Kerala High Court recently upheld a family court's decision to grant divorce to a woman whose husband allegedly neglected family life and imposed his spiritual beliefs on her.
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A division bench comprising Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice M. B. Snehalatha observed that a spouse cannot dictate the other’s personal beliefs and compelling the wife to adopt his spiritual lifestyle amounted to mental cruelty. The court also noted that the husband's disinterest in family life indicated a failure to fulfill his marital duties.
The wife had filed for divorce, stating that her husband was not interested in physical relations or having children due to superstitious beliefs. She further alleged that he discouraged her from pursuing a postgraduate course, misappropriated her stipend, and frequently left her alone to undertake pilgrimages. She also submitted messages from her husband expressing his wish for divorce.
Earlier, she had withdrawn a previous divorce petition after the husband apologised and assured a normal married life. However, according to her, his behavior remained unchanged, leading her to approach the court again.
The husband, in response, denied all allegations, claiming that he never imposed spiritual beliefs on his wife and had supported her education. He alleged that she was unwilling to have children until completing her MD and accused her parents of interfering in their marriage to control her income after she secured a government job.
The High Court, however, found no reason to disbelieve the wife's claims after reviewing the evidence. It stated that the husband's frequent temple visits, even by taking leave from work, reinforced the argument that he prioritised spiritual pursuits over family responsibilities. The court also emphasised that persistent neglect, lack of affection, and denial of conjugal rights without valid reasons inflicted severe mental trauma on the spouse.
Therefore, the court ruled that the family court had properly assessed the evidence before granting the divorce and found no grounds to overturn its decision.
