Watching porn and masturbating are not grounds for divorce: High Court dismisses husband's plea

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ruled that a wife watching pornographic videos and masturbating does not constitute grounds for divorce. The High Court made this observation in a divorce petition filed by the husband. The High Court dismissed the husband's appeal against the lower court's verdict not granting divorce. A bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and R. Poornima considered the appeal.

The husband had alleged in the petition that his wife is addicted to pornographic films and masturbates. The petition states that his wife was wasting money, not doing household work and misbehaving with the parents. However, the court observed that the petitioner had not been able to prove any of these allegations as cruelty on the part of the wife. The court said that watching such videos in private is not a crime. Women, like men, have the right to masturbate. Women's sexual freedom cannot be surrendered just because they are married. At the same time, the court clarified that addiction to pornographic videos is a bad thing, but it cannot be considered a reason for divorce.