Woman lawyer attempts to die by suicide after divorce case hearing

The woman’s lawyer said that she took the drastic step as she was upset over the slow progress of her case and the court proceedings on Wednesday. Lawyers in the Balasore courts rushed her to hospital where her condition is stated to be stable.

Published on: May 11, 2022, 23:00:32 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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BHUBANESWAR: A woman, who has been fighting her divorce case for 13 years, tried to die by suicide in an Odisha family court soon after the hearing ended on Wednesday afternoon. Her lawyer Niranjan Parida said that she took the drastic step as she was upset over the slow progress of her case and the court proceedings on Wednesday.

The woman filed for divorce in the family court in 2009. The judge earlier ordered the woman’s husband to pay a monthly maintenance of ₹10,000. But she complained that the payments were irregular. (Representational Image)

The woman, a practising lawyer in Balasore courts, had filed for divorce in the family court in 2009. The judge earlier ordered the woman’s husband, also a lawyer, to pay a monthly maintenance of ₹10,000. But she complained that the payments were irregular.

Parida said the woman was upset on Wednesday over the way the proceedings went down in court on Wednesday and attempted to die by suicide. Lawyers rushed her to the district headquarters hospital where her condition is stated to be stable.

The woman even wrote a note in which she asked if it was a sin for a woman to marry. “I have been fighting the legal battle for the last 13 years. The court has been opened for us. If I have committed a mistake by seeking justice, I would rather end my life today,” she said in the note, according to Parida.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More