Delhi High Court Declares Family Alienation as Cruelty in Marriage

The Delhi High Court has affirmed that a wife's insistence on her husband cutting ties with his family members is a form of matrimonial cruelty. The judgment upheld an order that dissolved the marriage of an estranged couple, highlighting the detrimental impact of repeated public humiliation and verbal abuse.

Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar emphasized that while desiring a separate living arrangement isn't inherently cruel, persistent efforts to alienate a spouse from their parents are. The court referenced the Supreme Court's stance that such behavior constitutes mental cruelty.

The verdict also noted the wife's threats and police complaints as significant acts of cruelty. The ruling underscored that preventing the husband and his family from emotional and physical access to their child further exemplifies this cruelty, leading to the final dissolution of the marriage.

(With inputs from agencies.)