October 5, 2013

Judge: "Why do you insist on a separate home? Why do you want to separate husband from his parents?

Judge: "Why do you insist on a separate home? Why do you want to separate husband from his parents?

The wife or her lawyer were unable to reply.

The wife had no complaints of torture by husband or in laws. But unreasonably she was insisting that she will not return to matrimonial home unless husband rents a separate house. She just did not want to live with parents or to serve them.

The husband felt very hurt. He felt that she had no business to live with him unless she also accepted and served his parents.

He was very much attached to his father and mother.

According to him, wife had no right to break their home and to insist him to stay away from his parents.

Judge pondered.

He adjourned matter after recess. During recess, judge asked wife and husband to meet him in chamber. He called them separately.

He asked wife, why she insisted on a separate house when there was no complaints against her in laws?

After some reluctance, wife broke down. She said, after her husband goes to work, his father in law was making passes against her. He was ogling her with evil intention. And she felt very very insecure. She was not in position to complain to her husband, because her husband loved his father and mother very much.

Judge understood. He called husband in chamber and persuaded him to get a separate house.

The couple lived happily thereafter.

(Based on a true story told to me by a retired High Court Judge)

Haresh Raichura
5/10/2013