Supreme Court: Wife's Pursuit of Career Cannot be Called Cruelty, Just Because it Hurts Husband's Sentiments

In a progressive ruling, Supreme Court held that a wife’s pursuit of professional goals cannot be branded as "matrimonial cruelty," even if it hurts the sentiments of her spouse.

Setting aside a lower court's findings against a woman dentist, the bench criticized the "archaic" assumption that a woman’s identity is a mere appendage to her husband's.

The Bench emphasized that 21st-century marriage must respect individual autonomy and mutual aspirations.

While the Court upheld the divorce due to the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, it expunged all allegations of cruelty, affirming that professional success is a right, not a marital offense.

[Ann Saurabh Dutt v. Lt. Col. Saurabh Iqbal Bahadur Dutt]