Wife watching porn, masturbating not marital cruelty: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court also questioned on why masturbation by a woman is heavily stigmatised.

Wife watching porn, masturbating not grounds for divorce, the Madras High Court ruled on Thursday, as reported by Bar and Bench.

The case was observed by Bench of Justices G R Swaminathan and R Poornima.

The court further noted that watching porn can adversely affect the viewer because of how it "portrays women in a degrading manner", however, if a wife watches porn in private, it is not an offence.

"Merely because a wife watches porn in private without compelling her spouse to join would not amount to marital cruelty," the court noted, as per the report.

Additionally, the court also ruled that allegation that the wife masturbates does not hold a ground for divorce, and also questioned on why women indulging in self-pleasure is heavily stigmatised.