MEERUT, April 6 -- In a striking departure from conventional social attitudes, a family in Meerut marked a divorce not with silence but celebration. 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. 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 Pranita to file for divorce in the Meerut family court. Principal Judge Shaktiputra Tomar granted the divorce on Saturday. Soon after the court's decision, the family turned the moment into a celebration of a "new beginning". As Pranita stepped out of the court premises, relatives danced to the beat of drums and escorted her home in a festive procession. At home, Dr Sharma welcomed his daughter with garlands and distributed sweets. Family members wore black T-shirts emblazoned with the message "I Love My Daughter". "If my daughter is not happy in marriage, it is my duty to bring her out of that environment. We did not seek alimony or anything else. I just brought my daughter back," Dr Sharma told PTI....