Nepalgunj, March 6

The number of divorce cases registered with the District Court in Banke this year has doubled compared to the previous year.

According to District Court officer Hemraj Timilsina, 285 divorce cases were filed at the court until mid-February this fiscal. “Of the total number of cases registered, 191 were filed by women; others by males,” said Timilsina, who attributed the spike in divorce cases to the new provision in the new Penal Code that allows males wishing for a separation to directly file a case at the courts.

Earlier, a male had to go through the ward office concerned and wait for around a year to take their cases to the court.

Timilsina added that around 15 males were filing for divorce every month after the implementation of the new Penal Code.