KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has observed that a husband’s disinterest and indifference toward family life and his lack of intimacy with his wife indicate his failure to fulfill his marital duties.
While granting divorce to a woman who claimed that her husband showed no interest in sexual relations or family life but was compulsively pursuing spiritual activities such as temple visits, the court said, “A marriage does not grant one partner the authority to dictate the spouse’s personal beliefs, whether it is spiritual or otherwise. Compelling the wife to adopt his spiritual life, causing emotional distress to her, amounts to mental cruelty. The husband’s disinterest in family life indicates his failure to fulfill his marital duties.”
The wife alleged that her husband was a person having superstitious beliefs who is not interested in having sex with her and not interested in having kids. Due to his attitude, she was put through severe mental agony and pain. He often goes on pilgrimage, leaving her alone. She is an ayurvedic doctor, and he did not permit her to join the PG course, and he compelled her to lead a life based on superstitious and false beliefs. Hence, her husband treated her with cruelty, she argued.
Refuting the allegations, the husband informed the court that he has no superstitious and false beliefs, and he has not subjected her to cruelty.
The court said that the mutual love, trust, and care between the spouses had been lost, and the marriage had been irretrievably broken. The court also upheld the order of the family court granting the divorce.