The Gujarat High Court will hear a rather unusual divorce case on 1st December, a man’s plea seeking separation from his wife because she brought stray dogs into their apartment and even made him sleep with them in the same bed. The man, who has accused his wife of being “dominant and cruel,” claims that her excessive attachment to stray dogs and her neglect of their marriage ultimately ruined their relationship.
A family court had earlier rejected his plea, saying he had failed to prove that his wife brought the dogs home just to harass him. The man then appealed to the High Court, which issued a notice to the wife in March this year.
On Tuesday, 11th November, a division bench of Justice Sangeeta K. Vishen and Justice Nisha M. Thakore heard the case and asked both parties’ lawyers to explore the possibility of a settlement before the next hearing.
Husband says wife wanted ₹2 crore settlement, can pay only ₹15 lakh
During the hearing, the husband’s lawyer informed the court that the wife was demanding ₹2 crore as a settlement, which he said was unreasonable considering his income. The man said he was able to pay ₹15 lakh instead.
However, the wife’s counsel argued that the husband had failed to prove any form of cruelty and that he was capable of paying a “reasonable” amount given his job and the properties owned by his family.
The court then listed the matter for further hearing on December 1.
A marriage that began in 2006 and fell apart over stray dogs
The Christian couple met in 2001 and got married in 2006 in Ahmedabad. In his petition, the husband said that he was “coerced” into marrying his wife through manipulative behaviour. He claimed that their marriage began to deteriorate when his wife started bringing home stray dogs, even though their residential society had strict rules against keeping pets.
According to him, the first dog she adopted created tension between them and led to complaints from neighbours. Despite his objections and their financial struggles, the wife went on to bring more stray dogs into the apartment, which led to several confrontations with other residents.
The husband said that these dogs bit neighbours, created hygiene issues, and eventually led to the couple being socially ostracised. “We became the subject of constant complaints to the police. Officers would call or visit us at all hours, and I was devastated by how things had turned out,” his petition states.
“The dogs slept in our bed and bit me”, says husband
In his appeal, the husband also claimed that the dogs interfered with their personal relationship. He said his wife forced him to feed, clean, and care for them despite his protests.
He further said that the dogs were aggressive and would bite him whenever he tried to sleep beside his wife. “One of the dogs would insist on sleeping in our bed and would bite me viciously if I tried to lie down next to her,” he said in his statement.
The husband described how he suffered frequent dog bites and had to deal with the physical and emotional stress caused by the situation.
“April Fool’s prank” turned into public humiliation
Another major grievance mentioned in the plea was that the wife had once pulled an April Fool’s prank on him through a radio station. The prank involved a fake accusation of infidelity, and according to him, millions of listeners heard it live.
“The appellant was deeply shocked and humiliated. His friends and colleagues heard it too, and he became a laughingstock in his circle,” the petition stated.
The husband also said that his health began to decline due to the constant “torture and cruelty.” He was diagnosed with diabetes in 2009 and claimed that his mental and physical condition worsened because of the stress.
Separation and legal battles across two cities
In 2011, the husband said he was forced to leave their home in Ahmedabad and move to Bengaluru. However, according to him, his wife followed him there and continued to cause him distress.
He filed for divorce in Bengaluru in 2012, but the case was later dismissed in 2016 for lack of jurisdiction. The case was then refiled in Ahmedabad, where it was dismissed by the family court in February 2024.
This rejection prompted the husband to appeal before the Gujarat High Court, where the matter is currently being heard.
Wife denies allegations, says husband was the dog lover
In her response, the wife has denied all allegations. She told the family court that she never brought stray dogs home and, in fact, it was her husband who worked with a Trust that cared for stray animals. According to her, he was the one who brought the dogs home and looked after them.
Regarding the April Fool’s prank, she admitted to organising it but maintained that it was meant to be harmless fun and did not contain any insulting remarks about her husband. She also denied any link between her behaviour and his health issues.
The family court had accepted her version of events and concluded that the husband had not provided enough evidence to prove cruelty.
In his appeal before the High Court, the husband has argued that the lower court “committed an error of fact” in assuming that he had affection for the dogs. He maintains that he repeatedly objected to keeping them, but was ignored by his wife.
The High Court will now examine both sides’ arguments on 1st December and decide whether the husband has valid grounds for divorce under the claim of cruelty.
