Indian Husband allows his Wife to Marry her Lover

An Indian husband from Kendrapara State in Odisha State has allowed his wife to marry her lover on Monday, November 5, 2018.

This comes after the Indian Supreme Court ruled that adultery in India is no longer a crime.

Bikash Sahoo, aged 32, who lives in Koilipur village, had married Sagarika Mohanty from the nearby village of Jayanagar in 2014.

The couple has a three-year-old daughter together and were happily married until the beginning of 2018.

Bikash works as a plumber in Kolkata and is only able to return home for a few days each year.

During his long absence, his wife had developed a relationship with Suresh Lenka, aged 28, also of Koilipur village.

The couple continued their relationship until Bikash’s parents spotted them together at her home in October 2018.

They immediately informed their son about the extra-marital affair.

Bikash came back to the village from Kolkata and confronted his wife and her lover.

He was shocked to hear his wife’s response to the situation.

She told him that she wanted to marry Suresh and even cited that the Supreme Court had ruled that adultery was no longer a criminal offence.

Bikash divorced Sagarika on November 1, 2018, and returned some of the gifts he was given during their marriage.

He said: “I divorced my wife through an affidavit before the notary public at Aul (Odisha) on November 1.”

“I called Sagarika’s parents and asked them to arrange her marriage with Suresh.”

“I returned a two-wheeler and other materials which her parents had gifted me at the time of marriage. My wife took our daughter.”

Bikash informed the village committee members about the decision to let his wife marry her lover, who gave their stamp of approval.

Mahendra Sahoo, president of the village committee, said:

“We discussed with the parents of both Bikash and Sagarika and told them to arrange the marriage.”

Upon hearing Bikash’s decision, Suresh was shocked to hear that he was free to marry Sagarika.

Mr Sahoo added: “It (the wedding) was solemnised in the village temple on Monday.”

To avoid any future legal problems, both Suresh and Sagarika had written a statement before the notary public in Aul to have Bikash as a witness to the marriage.

The decriminalisation of adultery in India was ruled in September 2018.

Justice D.Y. Chandrachud led the Bench in scrapping it, stating that women are not the property of their husbands.