Chhattisgarh court says repeated suicide threats, conversion pressure are 'mental cruelty'

India Dec 06, 2025

The Chhattisgarh High Court has decided that if a spouse keeps threatening self-harm and pushes their partner to change religion, it counts as "mental cruelty."
In this case, a man from Balod said his wife tried to harm herself several times and, separately, pressured him to convert.
Feeling unsafe, he left her at her parents' home.

Divorce upheld after years apart and community testimony

The couple had lived separately since 2019, with the wife refusing to return despite efforts from her husband and local elders.
The court noted that the wife's actions—leaving without reason and pressuring for religious conversion—met the legal standard for cruelty.
As a result, it upheld the divorce and rejected her appeal, highlighting that mental harassment can be as serious as physical abuse.