Observing Karwa Chauth For Another Man Is Mental Cruelty: Jaipur Court

A family court in Jaipur dissolved a 13-year-old marriage, stating that the wife's conduct towards another man, including observing a Karwa Chauth fast for him, amounted to mental cruelty. Family Court-2 judge Vishal Bhargava deemed the woman's relationship with another man and her treatment of him as if he were her husband to constitute a complete breakdown of trust within the marriage and granted a divorce.The man filed for divorce on January 27, 2023, nearly 10 years after his marriage, accusing his wife of mental harassment and alleging that she had refused to continue the relationship. He further claimed that there had been no physical intimacy between them since 2019. Based on the evidence, the court noted that the couple had been living separately for over a year.The man further claimed that his wife's conduct with another man went well beyond the scope of ordinary friendship. He claimed that on October 24, 2021, she celebrated Karwa Chauth in Goa with this other man, treating him as her husband. He alleged that she had effectively begun to regard this other individual as her partner, frequently spending time with him.The man also accused his wife of misbehaving with his parents and not failing to provide adequate care for their minor son. He asserted that she had subjected him to mental harassment by filing false complaints against him. Based on all the allegations and the available evidence, the court concluded that the husband had been subjected to mental cruelty and that it had become difficult to maintain trust and peace of mind within the marital relationship.After considering the available oral and documentary evidence, the court granted the husband's petition.