The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court has set aside a 2004 conviction against a man and his family for cruelty and abetment of suicide in connection with the death of his wife.
Justice Abhay S. Waghwase ruled that allegations such as not allowing the woman to watch television, preventing her from visiting the temple alone, stopping her from meeting neighbours, or making her sleep on a carpet, did not amount to cruelty under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Court noted that these restrictions were domestic in nature and lacked the severity required to be classified as cruelty.
The trial court in Jalgaon had convicted the family under Sections 498A and 306 IPC after the woman died by suicide in 2003. However, the High Court found no strong evidence to prove persistent mental or physical cruelty.
The Court observed that there was no communication from the woman in the two months before her death, nor any direct evidence showing harassment immediately before the incident. It added that “cruelty” is a relative term and must show consistent abuse or severe impact, which was missing in this case.
While quashing the conviction, the High Court emphasized that ordinary domestic disputes or petty disagreements cannot be treated as cruelty or harassment under the IPC.
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