“The wife is not a servant, she is a life partner”; Not cooking is not cruelty, husband will also have to help – Supreme Court’s strict comment:

New Delhi. The Supreme Court on Friday set a big precedent regarding the rights and responsibilities of husband and wife in marital relationships. Hearing a divorce case, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta clarified that a wife not cooking or doing household chores does not fall under the ambit of ‘cruelty’. Underlining the demands of modern times, the court said that husbands should also contribute to the household chores.

“Times have changed, you’re not marrying a maid.”

During the hearing of the case, Justice Sandeep Mehta orally remarked, “You are not marrying a maid, you are marrying a life partner.” The court further said that in today’s era, household chores like cooking and washing clothes are not the sole responsibility of the wife. Justice Vikram Nath emphasized this and said, “You will also have to contribute in these works. Today’s time is not the same as before.”

What is the whole controversy? (Case Background)

Occupation: The petitioner husband is a teacher in a government school, while the wife is a lecturer.

Marriage and Child: The two got married in 2017 and have an 8-year-old son.

Husband’s allegation: The husband sought divorce on the grounds of cruelty, alleging that the wife started misbehaving just a week after their marriage, refused to cook food for her parents and did not invite the family to the child’s birth ceremony.

Wife’s argument: The wife claimed that the husband’s family demanded cash and gold from her parents and she also had to hand over her entire salary.

Family Court vs High Court

Initially, the family court had ruled in favor of the husband and granted divorce on the grounds of cruelty. However, when the matter reached the High Court, the court canceled the divorce order. Challenging this decision, the husband had approached the Supreme Court.

Court’s stand: The Supreme Court has directed both the parties to appear in person on the next date. Earlier an attempt at mediation was made, which failed.

Other legal news: Petition on ‘Brahmophobia’ rejected

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to intervene in another important case. The court refused to hear a writ petition seeking to declare alleged ‘hate speech’ against the Brahmin community as a punishable offense under caste-based discrimination, terming it as “Brahmophobia”.