The Supreme Court of India has said that a wife not doing housework cannot be treated as cruelty. The observation came while hearing a divorce plea filed by a husband. He claimed that his wife refused to cook and sought divorce on that ground. A bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Vikram Nath heard the case. The court said marriage is about partnership, not about having a domestic helper. It also noted that husbands should share household responsibilities.
The husband also accused his wife of misbehaviour and not inviting him to a child’s ‘Noolukettu’ ceremony. The wife denied the allegations. She said she went to her home for delivery with consent and later faced harassment over dowry demands.
The family court had earlier granted divorce. The High Court later set aside that order. The Supreme Court is now considering the husband’s appeal against the High Court decision.
