Court grants divorce to husband after wife calls him 'paaltu chuha'

The Chhattisgarh High Court has upheld a family court’s decision to dissolve a marriage after the wife called her husband a “paaltu chuha” (pet rat) for following his parents. The court ruled that such behaviour amounted to mental cruelty. A division bench of Justices Rajani Dubey and Amitendra Kishore Prasad dismissed the wife’s appeal against the 2019 family court order. The bench noted that evidence presented in court supported the husband’s claims of cruelty and desertion.

Husband’s allegations

The husband told the court that his wife frequently provoked him against his parents, demanded separation, and became aggressive when he refused. He also alleged she tried to harm herself during pregnancy and repeatedly called him a “pet rat” for obeying his parents. The husband submitted messages and family testimonies showing that she disrespected elders and refused to adjust to a joint family setup. The wife admitted sending a message saying, “Leave your parents and stay with me.”

Court’s observations

The bench observed that, in the Indian social context, forcing a spouse to abandon parents can amount to mental cruelty. The court also noted that the wife’s prolonged stay at her parental home, except for a brief return in 2011, met the legal threshold for desertion. Rejecting her plea for restitution of conjugal rights, the court said her conduct weakened her case. While affirming the divorce, it directed the husband to pay Rs 5 lakh as permanent alimony.