Bhubaneswar: A woman repeatedly threatening to die by suicide or to harm her husband and their family members transcend represent a blatant form of psychological warfare, the Orissa high court observed while upholding the order of dissolution of marriage by a family court.
In a judgement upholding the order of family court of Cuttack that dissolved the marriage 20 years after the couple’s wedding, a divison bench of justices BP Routray and Chittaranjan Dash said that repeated threat of suicide is not just a misconduct, but an insidious form of emotional blackmail and psychological oppression.
“Such conduct crosses the boundaries of personal conflict and touches upon the very core of harassment, making it impossible for the aggrieved spouse to continue leading a peaceful and dignified marital life. When coupled with physical aggression and public humiliation, as seen in the present case, the cumulative effect is devastating, irreparably corroding the marital bond. Furthermore, such acts cannot be brushed aside as isolated emotional expressions. In a relationship as intimate as marriage, repeated threats become tools of coercion, forcing the other spouse to remain trapped in a state of perpetual anxiety and emotional paralysis,” the judges said in their order which was uploaded on the Orissa high court website on Monday.
The court said marriage is a partnership where both individuals are expected to nurture the bond with compassion and patience, even in times of disagreement or hardship.
{{/usCountry}}The court said marriage is a partnership where both individuals are expected to nurture the bond with compassion and patience, even in times of disagreement or hardship.
{{/usCountry}}“However, when one partner resorts to repeated threats of self-harm or violence, the very foundation of this sacred bond is shattered, giving rise to a climate of fear and emotional torment. While an attempt to commit suicide is an act of desperation, a repeated threat to do so is a calculated act of manipulation, often deployed to exert psychological control over the other spouse,” the order said.
The couple got married in May 2003 and after the marriage, they stayed in their matrimonial house in Jagatsinghpur, and subsequently in Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, USA and Japan.
However, their marriage soon became strained with the husband alleging that his wife pressured him to sever ties with his parents, demanded financial control by insisting on being the sole nominee in his insurance policies and frequently engaged in quarrels. He alleged that his wife systematically harassed him and his family by filing multiple false cases, including over 45 FIRs against him and his family members. On the other hand, the wife accused her husband of emotional neglect, financial control, and isolation, stating that he restricted her access to money and humiliated her in front of others.
The husband then moved a family court in Cuttack in 2009 seeking divorce following which the court in August 2023 dissolved the marriage noting that filing of multiple legal cases, including over 45 FIRs, was not merely an exercise of legal rights but a deliberate attempt to harass and intimidate the husband and his family. It held that while seeking legal remedies is a legitimate right, the misuse of legal processes to pressurise a spouse constitutes cruelty, justifying the dissolution of the marriage. It, however, fixed ₹63 lakh as alimony to the wife, who then moved Orissa high court seeking restitution of conjugal rights.