Srinagar, Feb. 13 -- "It is very painful to see how a woman, even as of today, is being treated," said a bench of Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul.

"If a woman is being labelled and shown as 'Divorcee', as if it is her Surname/Caste, then a man, who divorces his wife, is also to be called and suffixed as 'Divorcer', which, however, would be a bad practice," the court said, adding, "Such a practice should be stopped rather crushed".

The court also directed that henceforth if any motion/petition/appeal indicates and reflects in its cause-title the word "Divorcee", against the name of a woman, such a motion / petition/appeal should not be diarised or registered muchless entertained.

"To stop such a practice, a circular-instruction is required...