In a recent judgment, the Punjab and Haryana High Court addressed a divorce case where a wife was unwilling to live with her family, which included her 75-year-old mother-in-law and a mentally ill sister-in-law. The court opined that if a person is unable to make adjustments and compromises within a family setup, then seeking a divorce might be an appropriate decision. The judges, Justice Sudhir Singh and Justice Harsh Bunger, emphasized that marriage often requires certain sacrifices and compromises for the betterment of both parties involved.
The court’s decision was informed by the fact that the wife had been living separately with her two daughters since 2016 and expressed a strong desire not to live with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. She had hoped her husband would leave his family and live with her instead. This scenario was reminiscent of another case where the Supreme Court had termed such circumstances as cruelty.
The trial court had earlier granted the husband’s petition for divorce in 2019, following their marriage in 1999 and his filing for divorce in 2016. The wife’s appeal against the divorce decree was subsequently dismissed by the High Court, affirming the lower court’s decision.
