Court unites couple seeking divorce over naming baby

It is not unusual for couples to argue about naming a child, but it often ends up in court.

But a south Indian couple in Karnataka found they needed the courts to intervene after three years of fighting for their child’s name.

In fact, the fight got so bad that the couple wanted a divorce.

It all started in 2021, when the woman – who has not been named – gave birth to a son and went to her parents’ home for a few weeks. It is common for women in India to go to their parents’ house after giving birth to rest and recuperate.

In most cases, the man would come to bring the woman and the child home.

But when the then 21-year-old mother refused to accept the name her husband had chosen for their son, she was disappointed – and never went to get him back.

Instead, she chose the name Adi for her son – made up of the first letter of her name, and part of her husband’s, according to Hunsur’s assistant public prosecutor Sowmya MN.

Months turned into years and the woman, who was still at her parents’ home, went to the court in Hunsur town in Mysuru district to seek financial support from her husband.

Her lawyer MR Harish told BBC Hindi that the dispute has escalated to the point where she is seeking a divorce.

“He wanted money to pay because he is a house designer,” he said.

The case was initially filed in a local court but was later transferred to the People’s Court, also known as Lok Adalat, which handles cases that can be settled through mediation.

Despite several suggestions from the judges, the two settled – until they agreed on the name that the court decided.

The baby is now named Aryavardhana, Ms Sowmya says, meaning “respectful”.

The two then exchanged garlands, a sign of welcome according to Indian custom, and apparently left happily to continue their wedding.

This is not the only time in recent years that an Indian court has taken action in the matter of naming a child.

Last September, a child in Kerala was denied entry to school after it was discovered that his birth certificate was invalid.

His mother went to court to explain that she had tried to register the four-year-old, but the authorities refused to fill out the form because the father – from whom she was separated – was not there.

In its decision, the high court ordered the birth registration office to accept the name given by the woman and put the father’s name.