Husband Can't Compel Wife To Share Phone Or Bank Passwords, violates Privacy: Chhattisgarh High Court

The Chhattisgarh High Court has held that compelling a wife to disclose her phone and bank account passwords amounts to domestic violence and infringes her right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The husband, who filed for divorce under Section 13(1)(i-a) of the Hindu Marriage Act, alleging cruelty, also sought his wife’s call detail records from the family court. The High Court dismissed his plea, stating that marriage does not override an individual’s autonomy.

The Court observed that vague suspicions of adultery cannot justify surveillance or breaches of privacy.

Citing K.S. Puttaswamy, the court reaffirmed that the right to privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution.