A formerly married couple were reportedly granted a divorce after the man grew resentful of his wife serving him instant noodles - for every meal of every day.
M.L. Raghunath, a principal district and sessions court judge, recounted the case on May 27 during a press conference at a court in Mysuru, a city in the southwestern region of India, The New Indian Express reports.
According to the outlet, Judge Raghunath had been talking to local media about a recent increase in India's divorce rates, discussing examples of couples filing for divorce over trivial matters.
Speaking at the press conference, Judge Raghunath said he had been working as a district judge in the city of Ballari when he presided over the "Maggi case", named after the international brand of seasonings, soups and instant noodles. According to the outlet, Raghunath recalled that the man in the case had given up on his marriage after being served Maggi's instant noodles for every meal throughout the duration of their union.
"The husband said his wife did not know how to prepare any food other than Maggi noodles. It was noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He complained that his wife went to the provision store and brought only instant noodles," Raghunath explained, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Perhaps I'm stating the obvious here, but did it cross the man's mind that instead of seeking a divorce, he could, you know, seek out a supermarket?
The couple eventually divorced with mutual consent, Raghunath said. Under India's Special Marriage Act of 1954, divorce by mutual consent requires both parties to live separately for one year and mutually agree to dissolve the marriage.
He did not specify the date of the case or the names of the couple involved, and attempts by Insider to independently verify the case were unsuccessful.
While India's divorce rate remains low, Raghunath said more and more married couples have been calling it quits in recent years, particularly in the country's urban centres.
"Divorce cases are increasing drastically over the years," Raghunath said at the press conference, according to The New Indian Express. "Couples have to stay together for at least a year before seeking divorce. If there was no such law, there would be divorce petitions filed directly from wedding halls.
"In rural areas, village panchayats intervene and settle the problems. Women have no independence and their fear of society and family sentiments force them to cope with the situation. But in cities, women are educated and financially independent," he continued.
Speaking to the Hindustan Times last year, Shubhada Maitra, a professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, said many men are struggling to come to terms with the increasing independence of women in India, with women now frequently pursuing careers instead of fulfilling the traditional - and often expected - role as a mother, housewife and homemaker.
"So, women bear double brunt, by working as an earning member of the family and at the same time also taking care of the household chores," Maitra explained.
