If a woman has body odour and does not brush her teeth regularly and suffers from skin ailments because of her poor hygiene, it amounts to cruelty to her husband and can be a ground for divorce, the family court ruled recently.

While granting divorce to a couple, the court observed, “A very important aspect said by the petitioner (husband) is that she was not taking a bath and brushing her teeth regularly, which gave her body odour and skin problems. This has gone unchallenged by the woman.

“All the aforesaid behaviour and habits of the respondent had given the petitioner severe stress, and, according to him, it was mental torture and agony. Therefore, I find that all these grounds have made it impossible for the petitioner to cohabit with the respondent and continue marital life.”

The couple, who got married in 2009, have not consummated their union as the woman did not allow it, the husband alleged in his divorce petition.

“It was also our contention that the woman’s parents had given false educational qualification of her to us, which we proved in court by bringing on record that even though she claimed that she knew English, she could not understand the meaning of the word ‘gender’ when she was told to fill a form at a doctor’s clinic,” advocate Paresh Desai, appearing for the husband, said.

The court, accepting the contention, observed: “It is also pertinent to take note of the fact that the respondent’s parents have not disclosed correct facts before getting their daughter married. In our society, there is not much interaction between the boy and the girl prior to marriage. Due to this, many facts are hidden and come to light only after marriage, thus ruining it. I find this marriage stressful for the petitioner in view of the evidence on record.”

“The court, after considering all allegations and the fact that they went unchallenged by the woman, granted divorce and annulled the marriage,” Desai said.