High Court Protects Woman's Right to Work Amid Marital Cruelty

The Madhya Pradesh High Court allowed a woman's divorce plea, highlighting that forcing a spouse to quit a job constitutes cruelty. A woman claimed harassment from her husband for not conforming to his wishes. The court emphasized the autonomy of individuals in marital roles.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that compelling a spouse to abandon their job is an act of cruelty, as it granted a divorce to a 33-year-old woman who faced such demands from her husband.

The woman, a manager at a Central government undertaking, pursued divorce after family court dismissed her plea, citing mental harassment by her husband to give up her job and live in Bhopal.

The division bench of Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari highlighted individual autonomy, criticizing the husband's insistence on his wife quitting her job until he secured employment as a cruel act.

(With inputs from agencies.)