Retired Judge welcomes divorced daughter home with drums, garlands in Meerut

In a striking departure from conventional social attitudes, a family in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut marked a divorce with celebration instead of silence.

Retired Judge Gyanendra Kumar Sharma welcomed home his only daughter, Pranita Vashistha, with drums, garlands and sweets, sending out a strong message against stigma, after a family court granted her divorce on Saturday (April 4, 2026).

The quiet politics of a prefix

According to her counsels Rajeev Giri and Naseeb Saifi, Pranita had married an Army Major from Shahjahanpur on December 19, 2018. However, the marriage soon ran into trouble, with allegations of continued mental, physical and emotional distress at her matrimonial home.

Despite the birth of a son, the situation did not improve, prompting Ms. Vashistha to file for divorce in the Meerut family court. Principal Judge Shaktiputra Tomar granted the divorce on Saturday (April 4, 2026).