The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that forcing a wife to quit her job amounts to cruelty, allowing a woman’s plea for divorce. The court emphasized that a woman’s right to work is part of her personal freedom, and pressuring her to give it up violates her autonomy. This behaviour, the court stated, can have a significant impact on her dignity and independence.
Indore: The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that a husband forcing his wife to quit her job and conform to his wishes constitutes cruelty, allowing the woman to proceed with her divorce petition.
The 33-year-old woman, who serves as a manager with a Central government undertaking, appealed to the High Court after her divorce request was denied by the Family Court. She claimed her husband was subjecting her to mental harassment to leave her job and relocate with him to Bhopal.
In its ruling on November 13, a division bench led by Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari reversed the Family Court’s decision and granted the divorce.
The court stated,
“Whether husband or wife wants to live together, it is their wish. Neither husband nor wife can force the other side not to do a job or do any job as per the choice of the spouse. In the present case, the husband compelled his wife to leave the government job until he gets a job. Forcing the wife to leave her job and live according to his wishes amounts to cruelty.”
The couple married in 2014 and began preparing for government recruitment exams while living in Bhopal, according to the woman’s lawyer, Raghavendra Singh Raghuvanshi.
He remarked,
“In 2017, my client got a job in a government undertaking but her husband did not. This hurt his ego. He then started harassing her to quit her job and stay with him in Bhopal. He told her not to take up any job until he finds one. However, she refused, which created differences among the couple,”
The woman, employed as a manager in a Central government undertaking, filed for divorce, citing mental harassment by her husband. According to her plea, her husband pressured her to leave her job and live with him in Bhopal until he secured employment. The couple had been married since 2014 and initially resided in Bhopal while preparing for government recruitment examinations.
In 2017, the woman secured a position in a government organization, but her husband failed to clear any exams. Her lawyer, Raghavendra Singh Raghuvanshi, stated that the husband’s inability to find a job hurt his ego, leading him to harass his wife. He allegedly demanded that she quit her job and remain at home with him until he found employment. The woman’s refusal to comply created significant discord in their marriage, prompting her to seek a divorce.
Her initial plea was dismissed by a Family Court, which did not recognize her husband’s actions as sufficient grounds for divorce. Undeterred, she moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court, seeking justice.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s verdict is a progressive step toward upholding individual rights and autonomy in marriage. By acknowledging the husband’s coercion as cruelty, the court has reinforced the principle that marriage is a partnership based on mutual respect, not control.
This decision expected to resonate widely, empowering individuals to stand against oppressive practices in relationships.
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