Woman Can’t Be Expected to Follow Husband Like ‘Vodafone Pug’, Observes Madras High Court
The bench said the marriage had broken down beyond repair and made the divorce effective only after the husband deposits Rs 7 lakh.
- The Madras High Court granted a divorce after 16 years of separation, ordering the husband to pay Rs 7 lakh as alimony to his wife. The decree becomes effective upon deposit of the amount.
- Married on Sep 10, 1992, the couple had four children before the 67-year-old husband moved to Mumbai for work. After he filed for divorce in 2014, court-mediated settlement attempts failed.
- The family court initially dismissed the petition, holding the husband took advantage of "his own wrong" by leaving without his wife. The Bench disagreed, ruling employment relocation did not breach marital obligations under the Hindu Marriage Act.
- Justices Swaminathan and Sumathi drew criticism for comparing a wife to the pug in a Vodafone ad, stating she cannot be expected to follow her husband everywhere. The analogy contradicted the progressive legal outcome.
- Supreme Court advocate Charu Mathur called the analogy "deeply unfortunate," noting that judicial language carries weight and risks reinforcing gender stereotypes. She acknowledged the legal outcome was progressive despite the problematic framing.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Woman can’t be expected to follow husband like ‘Vodafone pug’, observes Madras High Court
Srinagar, Sep 3: The Madras High Court recently made the observation that a woman cannot be expected to follow her husband wherever he goes like the pug (dog breed) in the Vodafone ad. The court was hearing a matrimonial dispute case. A bench of Justices G R Swaminathan and M D Sumathi came down heavily on the family court, saying it had adopted a “revolutionary approach” when it held that a husband who moves away for employment cannot later see…
Wife can’t be expected to follow husband like ‘Vodafone pug’: Madras High Court
The court noted that parties had been living separately for 16 years, with wife making no effort to rejoin the husband or even sending a formal letter or notice, concluding that marital relationship had broken down beyond repair.
'Can't expect wife to follow husband like vodafone pug dog', Madras HC says while dismising man's divorce petition
The court took particular exception to the family court's reasoning, remarking, “Radical feminists may applaud the revolutionary approach of the trial court. We say with regret that we cannot give our imprimatur.”
‘Cannot Be Expected To Conduct Herself Like Vodafone Ad Pug’: Madras HC on Wife Relocating for Husband | 📰 LatestLY
The Madras High Court said a wife cannot be expected to accompany her husband every time his job requires him to relocate, using Vodafone’s famous pug advertisement to illustrate its point. The court made the observation while dissolving a marriage after 16 years of separation, rejecting the husband’s adultery allegation but finding the relationship had broken down beyond repair. 📰 ‘Cannot Be Expected To Conduct Herself Like Vodafone Ad Pug’: M…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
