Wife’s Consumption of Alcohol Doesn’t Constitute Cruelty Unless It Leads to Unwarranted

The Allahabad High Court determined that a wife's drinking habits do not amount to cruelty towards her husband unless they result in inappropriate or uncivil behaviour.

The division bench, including Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Om Prakash Shukla, expressed this view while adjudicating a divorce application from a man.

The petitioner claimed that his wife drank alcohol and socialized with her friends without his knowledge.

The court observed that although drinking alcohol is still frowned upon in middle-class society, no proof was provided to substantiate claims of cruelty resulting from the wife's behaviour. Consequently, the petition was rejected.