'Customary divorce not valid': Court on diplomat's 2nd marriage
Thongkomang Armstrong Changsan, India's ambassador to Cuba, is facing a legal dispute after trying to end his 1994 Christian marriage using Kuki tribal customs instead of the official court process.
The Gauhati High Court ruled that only a court can annul such marriages, but Changsan went ahead with a customary divorce and remarried anyway.
Supreme Court backs HC's decision
On July 25, 2025, the Supreme Court backed the High Court's decision and asked both sides to try reconciliation.
Neikhol, Changsan's first wife, said he ended things behind her back and kept their daughter away.
The court ordered Changsan to support Neikhol's visit to Bengaluru so she could meet their daughter and set aside ₹3 lakh for her travel—emphasizing that their daughter's well-being should come first.