The Supreme Court has ordered a man to return all belongings of his estranged wife within 24 hours, expressing disapproval over his refusal to allow her to retrieve her clothes and personal items since 2022. This ruling came from a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan during a hearing for an application filed by the husband, who sought permission for his minor son to visit his home on Diwali to participate in family puja. The mother opposed this request. The court permitted both parents to take their son to a nearby temple for the puja, also welcoming the participation of the grandparents if they wished.
The bench remarked, “Marriages do fail, but that does not justify a husband denying his wife the chance to collect her belongings. While they may not be able to live together, we expect her possessions to be returned to her.” It emphasized the unacceptable nature of the husband’s actions since 2022. The couple married in 2016, and following marital difficulties, the woman left with their son in 2022 and has been living separately since.