Discovering infidelity soon after marriage can have profound and devastating effects on the mental and emotional well-being of a woman, the Delhi High Court has observed while denying bail to a man whose wife committed suicide 13 days after their wedding.
The high court noted the deceased got to know of her husband’s extramarital relationship a day after the marriage.
It said the emotional trauma of discovering infidelity and subsequent ill treatment by spouse can drive a woman to take extreme steps like suicide.
“In the present case, it is observed that discovering infidelity shortly after marriage can have profound and devastating effects on the mental and emotional well-being of the victim. The sense of shock can be overwhelming, as a woman may have entered the marriage with trust and hope, which in the present case was prima-facie shattered by the revelation of her husband’s alleged extramarital affair,” Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said, adding no ground was made out to grant bail to the man.
The husband has been accused of abetting the suicide of his newly-wed wife.
The couple got married on May 18, 2022 and the woman died by suicide on the intervening night of May 30-31 last year by hanging herself from a ceiling fan.
A criminal case was registered on the complaint of the deceased’s father at Ranjit Nagar police station.
The deceased’s father alleged that his daughter’s husband had an extramarital affair and that he had killed the victim.
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The man’s counsel, however, claimed innocence and said he has no connection with the suicide of his wife.
He said the couple was having good relations after their marriage and the man was shocked to learn about his wife’s suicide.
The high court noted there were specific allegations against the man that he was having an extramarital affair with a woman and his wife was undergoing tremendous stress and trauma on a daily basis.
“There were specific allegations that the deceased was subjected to mental and physical torture. This court has also gone through the statement of mother of the deceased under Section 164 CrPC which also reveals that the applicant (man) had beaten the deceased when she had objected to his extra marital affair. It is also noted that the deceased had committed suicide within 13 days of marriage,” the court said.
