A vacation bench comprising Justices Markandeya Katju and Deepak Verma observed, “Biwi joh bolti hai woh suno (listen to whatever your wife says), as otherwise it could land you in trouble. Because if you do not listen to her, you will suffer the consequences.”

The Bench further said a husband had to accept the suggestion of a wife whether it was sensible or not. “If your wife asks you to put your face that side, put it that side. If she says, put it this side, then put it this side. Otherwise you will face trouble.”

“Hum sab bhogi hain (we are all sufferers),” the bench said in a lighter vein.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that although Manisha had implicated her husband and his family in a host of criminal cases, she was opposing the divorce despite the marriage breaking down.

While a lower court in Chandigarh had dismissed Kumar’s plea for divorce as Manisha opposed it, later, in an appeal, a single-judge bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court had granted a decree of judicial separation.

Manisha appealed against the decree but a division bench of the High Court gave a decree of divorce as it found that the marriage “had irretrievably broken down”. It also directed Rs 10 lakh to be paid as maintenance amount by Kumar to her. Manisha then approached the apex court against the High Court order.

The apex court bench, however, found that there was no urgency and adjourned the matter to July to come up before a regular bench. “You have waited for 17 years, so wait for a few more days,” it told Kumar.