‘Dignity can’t be compromised’: Jharkhand High Court allows wife to live separately

The Jharkhand High Court has allowed a woman to live separately from her husband, ruling that her dignity must not be compromised. The court dismissed the family court's order from September 2022, which demanded that she resume her married life with her husband. The Christian couple, married in 2018, separated a few months after their wedding and have been living apart since 2019.

The woman claimed that her husband subjected her to mental torture, dowry demands and abandonment during her pregnancy. The court acknowledged that conjugal rights are inherent in marriage, but emphasized that they cannot be forced upon a spouse at the "cost of their dignity". The court found that the evidence presented by the woman substantiated her claim of reasonable cause to live separately.