“Why would a husband care?” – Judge on sindoor, mangalsutra

In a district court in Pune, a peculiar exchange took place between a woman alleging domestic violence and a judge mediating the case. During the conversation, the judge questioned why the woman’s husband would lose interest in her. He wondered if it was because she did not wear a mangalsutra and sindoor.

A disputes lawyer in Pune, Ankur R Jahagirdar, shared the incident through a LinkedIn post which is now in wide circulation on social media. In the post, Ankur shared that he witnessed a judge encouraging a couple, who had separated a while ago, to solve the matter amicably.

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Judicial Bias Over Traditional Symbols in Marriage

During the course of mediation, he says, the judge turns to the woman and says, “I can see that you are not wearing a mangalsutra and bindi. If you don’t behave like a married woman, why would your husband show any interest in you?”

This is not an isolated incident of authorities reprimanding a woman for not wearing a mangalsutra or bindi. In a similar case from 2022, the Madras High Court granted a man a divorce. The court ruled that his estranged wife’s refusal to wear a mangalsutra amounted to “mental cruelty of the highest order.” The court made this decision in favor of the husband.

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Additionally, lawyer Ankur shared another case from his own experience. In that case, a sessions judge advised his female client to show “some flexibility” during mediation. According to Ankur, this remark was likely directed at her demands for maintenance, implying that she should compromise.

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