Raipur: A single “OK” changed the life of a railway station master from Visakhapatnam, who faced unexpected consequences in both his personal and professional spheres. During a heated phone conversation with his wife while on duty, the officer ended the call saying, “will talk when home, OK.”
His colleague, however, misinterpreted this as a green light for a freight train, which resulted in a serious breach of protocol. As the train entered a restricted Naxal-prone area, the railway faced huge financial loss, leading to the officer’s suspension.
The officer’s marriage was already been strained and due to this incident, it worsened. Married in 2011 to a woman from Durg, Chhattisgarh, he soon found she was still emotionally involved with another partner. Even though her family had assured, she continued taling to her ex-lover, even during late-night calls that the officer later testified disturbed him deeply.
Officer’s divorce turns sour
After he was suspended, the officer sought a divorce in the Visakhapatnam family court and he cited harassment and cruelty. In response, his wife filed a Section 498A complaint against him and his family, alleging cruelty and harassment. She also requested the Supreme Court to transfer the case to Durg, claiming she felt unsafe. The Supreme Court agreed and transferred the case.
The Durg family court denied his divorce petition, prompting the officer to appeal to the Chhattisgarh High Court. He said that his wife falsely accused him of an illicit relationship with his sister-in-law, who had supported him after his mother’s death. Apart from that, she accused his family of dowry harassment despite them living separately and provided no evidence of dowry demands.
HC grants divorce
In its ruling, the High Court found the wife’s actions, including unfounded accusations and creating disturbances at his workplace, to be mentally cruel. The division bench, comprising Justice Rajani Dubey and Justice Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal, granted the divorce and reversed the lower court’s decision. Vipin Kumar Tiwari, representing the officer, said that the wife would frequently call and visit his workplace, sometimes accompanied by people to intimidate him. After a lengthy legal battle that spanned over a decade, the High Court’s ruling finally brought closure to the officer.
