A 41-year-old man has approached the Gujarat High Court requesting a divorce from his wife, accusing her of cruelty. He has claimed that their relationship fell apart after she began bringing stray dogs into their home and even orchestrated a prank about an alleged affair that left him humiliated in public.
According to his petition, the couple married in 2006, and trouble started soon after when his wife brought a stray dog into their apartment. This was despite their housing society’s clear prohibition on pets. She later took in several more strays, allegedly forcing him to feed, clean, and care for them. The husband said that one of the dogs bit him after insisting on sharing their bed.
He further stated that the dogs’ presence angered neighbours, leading to complaints and even police involvement in 2008. He has said his wife became increasingly active in an animal rights organization and began filing police complaints against others. Whenever she required his presence at the police station and he refused, she allegedly insulted and harassed him, he has added. The continuous stress, he claimed, affected his mental and physical health and led to erectile dysfunction.
The husband also cited a separate incident from April 1, 2007, when his wife allegedly asked a radio jockey to call him on air, pretending to discuss an extra-marital affair. The prank, he said, deeply embarrassed him among colleagues and within their social circle. Unable to cope, he left for Bengaluru, but alleged that she continued to trouble him afterward.
He filed for divorce in 2017 before the Ahmedabad family court, accusing his wife of cruelty. The wife, however, contested the allegations, saying he had deserted her and that it was he who introduced her to animal welfare work. She presented photographs showing him affectionately holding and kissing the dogs to refute his claims.
In February 2024, the family court dismissed his plea, observing that he had failed to prove cruelty or desertion. On the issue of the prank call, the court noted, “Such an incident cannot be treated as a valid ground for divorce.”
Challenging the verdict, the husband, represented by advocate Bhargav Hasurkar, has filed an appeal in the High Court.
He has maintained that their marriage had broken down beyond repair and offered to pay Rs. 5 lakh as alimony. She has demanded Rs. 2 crore with her lawyer arguing that since the man’s family runs a resort overseas, he should provide a reasonable settlement.
A bench of Justice Sangeeta Vishen and Justice Nisha Thakore has scheduled the next hearing for December 1.
Also Read: Gujarat High Court: Hindu Marriages In India Cannot Be Dissolved Abroad https://www.vibesofindia.com/gujarat-high-court-hindu-marriages-in-india-cannot-be-dissolved-abroad/
