Court unites couple seeking divorce over baby’s name

It’s not unusual for couples to argue over their baby’s name, but they rarely end up in court.

But a couple from the southern Indian state of Karnataka found themselves needing court intervention after a three-year fight over their son’s name.

In fact, the fight had gotten so nasty that the couple was seeking a divorce.

It all started back in 2021, when the woman – who has not been identified – gave birth to a child and went to her parents’ house to spend a few weeks. It is common for women in India to move to their parents’ home after having a child to rest and recover.

Normally, the husband came to bring the mother and baby home.

But when the woman, then 21, refused to accept the name her husband had chosen for their son, he became upset and never came to bring her 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 Deputy Public Prosecutor Sowmya MN.

Months turned into years and the woman, who was still at her parents’ house, approached the local court in Hunsur town in the state’s Mysuru district, seeking financial support from her husband.

Her lawyer, MR Harish, told BBC Hindi that the dispute had escalated to the point where she was seeking a divorce.

“She wanted money for support because she is a housewife,” 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 deals with cases that can be resolved through mediation.

Despite multiple suggestions from the judges, the couple remained steadfast until they finally agreed on the name chosen by the court.

The child is now called Aryavardhana, says Sowmya, which means “of nobility.”

The couple then exchanged garlands, a symbol of acceptance according to Indian tradition, and apparently left happily to continue their marriage.

This is not the only time in recent years that an Indian court has had to intervene when naming a child.

Last September, a girl in Kerala was denied entry to school after it was revealed that her birth certificate was blank.

Her mother approached the court explaining that she had attempted to register the now four-year-old girl, but officials refused to complete the form because the father, from whom she was separated, was not present.

In its order, the high court directed the birth registration office to accept the name suggested by the mother and add the name of the father.