HC rejects Hyderabad NRI’s divorce plea over ‘ghar jamai’ claim

Married in 2009, the couple has a 16-year-old daughter.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has rejected a Hyderabad NRI’s divorce plea based on his claim that his wife and her parents forced him to live at his in-laws’ house as a ‘ghar jamai’.

As per the court, his allegations of cruelty were not backed by credible evidence. Minor marital disputes could not justify ending a marriage, the court observed.

Married in 2009, the couple has a 16-year-old daughter. However, for the past 14 years, they have been living separately.

Family court order upheld

Upholding the order of a family court, a division bench of Justice K Lakshman and Justice K Sujana dismissed the man’s divorce petition.

The court also allowed his wife’s plea for restitution of conjugal rights.

During the hearing of the divorce plea, the 50-year-old Hyderabad NRI, who had returned from the US, also accused his wife of having psychiatric problems and suicidal tendencies.

To support his claim, he cited a domestic violence case filed against him, in which he was acquitted.

He further claimed that after leaving the matrimonial home on March 6, 2011, his wife and her family proposed a divorce by mutual consent.

Rejecting the claims, his wife accused him and his family of harassing her over dowry.

To support her dowry claim, the woman told the court that her husband and his family demanded Rs 5 lakh even after receiving Rs 6.5 lakh in cash and 10 tolas of gold from her family at the time of the marriage.

Reason for rejecting Hyderabad NRI’s divorce plea

As per the bench, there were no major differences between the couple. It said his allegations could not be accepted without reliable evidence.

The court also said that petty issues did not amount to mental cruelty warranting the dissolution of a marriage.