Is mental cruelty enough to file for divorce in India?

Yes. Indian courts have long recognised that cruelty under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act is not limited to physical violence — mental cruelty is an accepted and frequently used ground for divorce on its own. Courts assess whether the conduct is of such a nature that it causes reasonable apprehension that it would be harmful or injurious for the petitioner to continue living with the other spouse.

What you describe — persistent humiliation in front of family and controlling behaviour restricting your movement — falls within patterns Indian courts have repeatedly treated as mental cruelty, including constant taunting, isolating a spouse from family and friends, unreasonable restrictions on personal freedom, and sustained belittling conduct. The key is that this needs to be a pattern of conduct, not a single incident, and you will need to be able to describe specific instances with approximate dates, and ideally some corroboration such as messages, witness accounts from family members who observed the behaviour, or medical/counselling records if you sought help for the stress.

There is no fixed checklist the law provides — cruelty is assessed case by case based on the cumulative effect of the conduct on you, considering your specific background, sensibilities, and the context of the marriage. This is precisely why documentation matters so much: keep a simple written record of incidents as they happen, with dates, since memory of exact timelines fades and courts respond well to specific, dated accounts over vague general complaints.

I'd suggest consulting a family lawyer to review your specific facts and help you organise this evidence before filing, since a well-prepared cruelty petition moves considerably faster than one that relies only on general assertions.