When onion-garlic split a home, a 23-year marriage ended in divorce in Gujarat!

A 23-year marriage in Gujarat has ended over a long-running disagreement rooted in the kitchen, specifically the wife’s refusal to consume onion and garlic due to her religious beliefs. The Gujarat High Court has upheld a divorce granted by an Ahmedabad family court, bringing closure to a dispute that spanned more than two decades.

According to a PTI report, a division bench of Justices Sangeeta Vishen and Nisha Thakore dismissed the woman’s appeal against the divorce on November 27 after she indicated she no longer wished to contest the dissolution of the marriage. Her appeal had noted that she follows the Swaminarayan sect, whose members traditionally avoid onion and garlic.

As per the court documents, since the couple married in 2002, the husband’s mother prepared separate meals for the wife without these ingredients, while cooking regular dishes for the rest of the family. This difference in food preferences eventually became the core point of contention between the spouses.

The court observed that ‘adherence to religious practices and consumption of onion and garlic became the trigger point’ for their marital discord. Although the woman initially challenged the family court’s ruling, she later confined her objection to the issue of unpaid maintenance rather than the divorce itself.

The husband had earlier approached the Mahila Police Station in Ahmedabad, alleging ‘torture and harassment.’ The woman left the matrimonial home in 2007 with their child, citing ongoing disputes. In 2013, the husband sought divorce before the family court on the grounds of cruelty and desertion. The court granted the divorce in May 2024.

During the High Court hearing, the woman stated that maintenance ordered by the family court had not been paid for the past 18 months. Her lawyer informed the bench that the total outstanding amount was Rs 13,02,000. She had already received Rs 2,72,000 as interim relief, while the husband had earlier deposited Rs 4,27,000 during the case.

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The High Court ordered that the deposited sum be transferred to the woman after verification and directed the husband to deposit the balance with the family court, which will ensure the remaining amount is credited to her bank account.