A family court in Jaipur has granted a divorce to a man on the grounds of mental cruelty from his wife, including her conduct on social media.
The petitioner had sought a divorce, claiming that his wife's actions had hurt his dignity and social standing. The court observed that mutual respect and dignity are essential in marital relationships, and repeated disrespectful behaviour can be treated as cruelty.
The wife of the petitioner had reportedly shared photographs on social media that pictured her with another man. The court observed that the said images were such that they went beyond the manners of normal relations, which can amount to mental cruelty towards the husband. The couple was married in 2015.
"The court noted that content shared on social media has a public impact and individuals must act responsibly. It also took into account allegations that the wife used abusive language and pressured the husband to live separately from his parents, observing that such conduct could amount to mental harassment," the husband's counsel, D. S. Shekhawat, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
In an order passed on April 17, the court said that such conduct of maintaining relations with another man, whether a relative or a friend, beyond normal limits and displaying them on social media in this manner, is not only harmful to marital relations but also falls within the category of cruelty.
"It can be treated as matrimonial misconduct and an act amounting to an insult to the marital relationship," the court observed.
"The wife also admitted appearing for a patwari examination by declaring herself unmarried, indicating that she filled in job application forms showing her status as unmarried, thereby not acknowledging the husband, as alleged by him," the court said.
