INDORE: A family court in Indore in Madhya Pradesh has directed a woman to return to her husband's home with immediate effect while observing that wearing the ritualistic 'sindoor' (vermillion) was the duty of a (Hindu) woman as it demonstrates that she is married.
Indore Family Court principal judge NP Singh's direction came while hearing a plea of a man seeking restoration of his rights under the Hindu Marriage Act after his wife walked out of the marriage five years ago.
In his order of March 1, the judge said, "When the statement of the woman was recorded in the court, she admitted she was not wearing indoor. Sindoor is a religious duty of a wife and it shows that the woman is married."
After perusal of the entire submission of the woman, it was clear she had not been abandoned by her husband and that she had left him and wanted a divorce, the order further said.
"She has forsaken her husband. She is not wearing the sindoor," the court said.
In her defence, the woman accused her husband of physical and mental harassment for dowry.
After hearing both sides and going through the material on record, the court said the woman had not submitted any police complaints or report regarding her allegations.
The petitioner's lawyer Shubham Sharma said his client got married in 2017 and the couple has a 5-year-old son.