The Karnataka High Court has said it will consider granting divorce to a man frustrated by his wife who had sought certification for every aspect his health, as “suspicion is a mighty disease”.
Kishor (38), an assistant director working in the Kannada film industry, married his cousin Ananya (41) (both names changed). He approached the High Court after a family court dismissed his divorce petition.
Kishor submitted he had been in love with Ananya, and helped her tide over many financial problems in her family. With their parents’ approval, they were engaged in April 2005 and married in March 2006.
‘Fitness certificate’
On the first night, Ananya told him they could make love only after he had produced an HIV-negative certificate.
An upset Kishor went to a lab soon after, and tested negative. He handed the certificate to her. She then demanded certificates to prove he had no diabetes or high blood pressure. She reportedly asked him for an overall ‘fitness certificate’.
Disturbed, but not willing to disappoint her, Kishor underwent all tests, and the results showed he was in good health. She reportedly continued to doubt him and even suggested he had bribed the doctors.
Kishor then decided life would be difficult with her since she was full of suspicion, and moved out.
Ananya started living with her parents from December 2006.
In 2007, Ananya filed a domestic violence complaint against Kishor and his family at the women’s police station in Mysore. Police arrested Kishor and his father at Kishor’s brother’s wedding, the petition stated.
Kishor filed for divorce, but a family court dismissed his petition in 2012. He then filed an appeal before the High Court.
A division bench comprising Justice K L Manjunath and Justice A V Chandrashekara observed on Monday that the couple had lost trust. The judges quoted a Telugu saying, Anumaanam pedda rogam (suspicion is a mighty disease). While they wouldn’t encourage a split in the normal course, in this case, they found no hope.
Ananya admitted she had sought the certificates and said she was willing to live with her husband, but the judges were not convinced.
The bench gave them time to arrive at a compromise.