Quick Summary: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court turned down R. Vasudevan's request for a divorce, agreeing with the lower court's decision to keep the marriage between him and S. Valli intact. The court pointed out the lack of proof for bad behavior and noted that the wife was willing to make up.
R. Vasudevan and S. Valli got married on March 16, 2000. Soon after, Vasudevan, who worked in Muscat, took Valli there. However, things went wrong when Valli supposedly acted suspiciously and threatened Vasudevan. She eventually returned to India in April 2001, and the couple has lived apart ever since.
"The marriage is beyond repair," claimed Vasudevan.
Valli, who has a Ph.D. and works at Anna University, argued that Vasudevan did not behave like a responsible husband. She said he refused to be a good partner and stopped her from going to job interviews in Muscat, forcing her to go back to India.
"Even though I faced bad treatment, I am ready to live with him again," Valli insisted.
Vasudevan asked for a divorce in 2003, saying Valli was cruel and abandoned him, while Valli asked for their marriage rights to be restored in 2004. The trial court sided with Valli, rejecting Vasudevan's divorce request, and this decision was confirmed by the District Court in 2013.
Vasudevan's appeal claimed that the lower courts did not properly consider the evidence of cruelty. However, Justice R. Poornima of the Madurai High Court found no truth in his claims. The court noted Valli's ongoing attempts to make up and Vasudevan's failure to prove his accusations.
"The marriage cannot be ended just because it seems beyond repair," the court stated.
The court's decision shows how important it is to have strong evidence in divorce cases and supports the idea of trying to fix marriages when possible. Vasudevan's appeal was denied, meaning the couple remains legally married despite being apart for many years.
