Yes, a wife can indeed file for divorce in Chennai based on harassment by her husband's family members, since Indian matrimonial law, particularly cruelty as a ground under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act, has been interpreted broadly to include not only direct conduct by the husband but also harassment inflicted with the husband's knowledge, tacit approval, or failure to protect his wife from mistreatment by his own family members.

Courts examining such cases look at whether the husband's family's harassment was significant enough, and whether the husband either actively participated, condoned, or simply failed to protect his wife despite awareness of the mistreatment, since a husband's passive complicity in ongoing family harassment can itself constitute cruelty attributable to him for purposes of a matrimonial cruelty claim, even if he did not personally engage in the harassing conduct.

To establish this ground, you should document specific instances of harassment by in-laws, including dates, nature of the conduct, and any evidence such as witness testimony, medical records if physical harm occurred, or communications reflecting the pattern of mistreatment, along with evidence demonstrating your husband's awareness and failure to intervene or protect you despite this knowledge.

Given that family harassment cases often benefit from being paired with a parallel complaint under Section 85 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 or the Domestic Violence Act, which specifically address cruelty by relatives, pursuing complementary legal remedies alongside your divorce petition can strengthen your overall position. Consulting the team at Aapka Legal Advice can help you build a comprehensive case addressing both the divorce and any related protective remedies in Chennai.

Given the complexity of establishing a husband's attributable responsibility for his family's conduct, obtaining a second opinion from a retired judge on the strength of your evidence can help you present the most compelling case. Chennai's experienced family law advocates and retired judges, available through Aapka Legal Advice's Chennai divorce lawyer directory, regularly assist clients navigating these family harassment-related matrimonial matters.

In conclusion, a wife can indeed file for divorce in Chennai based on harassment by her husband's family, provided she can establish the husband's awareness and failure to protect her, making thorough documentation of both the harassment and the husband's response essential.