The Bombay High Court has ruled that repeated threats by a spouse to commit suicide constitute cruelty, granting divorce to a man who had been living separately from his wife for over a decade.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad passed the order last week, overturning a 2019 family court decision that had rejected the man’s divorce plea.

The couple, married in 2006, had been living apart since 2012 due to marital discord. The husband’s plea cited desertion, suspicion, and threats of suicide by his wife as grounds for divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act.

The High Court noted that repeated threats of suicide, whether expressed through words, signs, or gestures, make it impossible for the other spouse to continue the matrimonial relationship in a peaceful environment. Referring to Supreme Court precedent, the bench emphasized that such conduct amounts to cruelty.

“The couple has been residing separately for over a decade, and neither an amicable settlement nor reconciliation is possible. Continuation of such a marriage would only perpetuate the cruelty inflicted by both parties,” the court observed.

While granting the divorce, the bench directed the husband to pay ₹25 lakh and transfer ownership of two flats to his wife as part of the final settlement.

This ruling reinforces that psychological cruelty, including threats of self-harm, is recognized by courts as sufficient grounds for dissolving a marriage.