# Chhattisgarh HC says wife calling husband ‘black complexioned’ not divorce ground 2026-09-24T08:06:45+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The Chhattisgarh High Court has held that a wife calling her husband "black complexioned" or "fatty shaped" is not sufficient grounds for divorce. A division bench of Justice Parth Prateem Sahu and Justice Sachin Singh Rajput dismissed the husband's appeal, noting he failed to prove cruelty or desertion with evidence. The court observed that mere allegations without substantiation cannot justify dissolving a marriage. In a separate ruling, a different division bench granted divorce to a wife on grounds of mental cruelty. The court held that the husband's abusive WhatsApp messages to his wife and her sisters constituted mental cruelty. The bench noted that Family Courts are not bound by strict evidence rules and can consider WhatsApp chats even if they do not fully comply with the Evidence Act, especially when the husband did not deny the messages. Both orders were passed under the Hindu Marriage Act. The wife in the second case was granted liberty to seek permanent alimony separately. ## Indian Opinion Analysis LiveLaw covered both rulings neutrally, leading each with the court's legal reasoning. New Indian Express reported only the wife's divorce victory, framing it around cruelty and justice for women. The contrast highlights a court drawing a line: casual insults do not meet the cruelty threshold, but sustained abusive behaviour backed by evidence does. The takeaway is the evidentiary standard. Family Courts have discretion under Section 14 of the Family Courts Act, but litigants still need proof. The Supreme Court's Samar Ghosh guidelines remain the benchmark for cruelty. ## Coverage - livelaw.in (neutral report) Leads with legal principle on WhatsApp chats and Family Court discretion - newindianexpress.com (sensationalist) Frames story around mental cruelty and grant of divorce, omits the companion ruling - livelaw.in (neutral report) Leads with legal principle on WhatsApp chats and Family Court discretion Tags: Chhattisgarh High Court, Hindu Marriage Act, mental cruelty Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/chhattisgarh-hc-rejects-divorce-over-black-complexioned-insult/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/chhattisgarh-hc-rejects-divorce-over-black-complexioned-insult/#story-in-brief