Pune: A Pune woman has been granted a unilateral divorce after her husband, who allegedly subjected her to physical and mental abuse, failed to appear in court despite being served notice.

The decision was handed down by Judge Sangeeta Pahade of the Pune Family Court. The couple, identified as Madhav (32) and Madhavi (25) (names changed), were married in November 2016 after a traditional matchmaking process.

Initially, the marriage was smooth, but things took a dark turn when Madhavi became pregnant in December 2016. Her husband allegedly began harassing her, often quarreling and, on one occasion, assaulted her while under the influence of alcohol, causing injuries to her face.

He then threw her out of their home, forcing her to return to her parents' house. Despite hopes that the situation would improve after the birth of their child, the harassment continued.

During her pregnancy, her mother brought her back home for delivery. After the birth of their son, her in-laws never visited her. Meanwhile, her husband took ₹25,000 from her mother, claiming it was for a vehicle, but it was later revealed that he had stolen someone else's car.

The family managed to get him out of this trouble. Frustrated by the continuous harassment, Madhavi filed for divorce, and the court has now granted it unilaterally, bringing an end to her ordeal.

"It feels good to have obtained justice for my client," said Advocate Nandkishor Yerande (wife's lawyer).