The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court recently ruled that minor domestic restrictions, like not letting a daughter-in-law watch TV, meet neighbors, go to the temple alone, or sleep on a bed, do not count as cruelty under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The Court overturned a 2004 conviction of a man and his family for cruelty and abetment to suicide after the man’s wife took her own life in 2003. The court found that the complaints made by the woman were not serious enough to qualify as mental or physical cruelty.
Justice Abhay S. Waghwase, in his October 17 judgment, said that the reported issues were typical household matters. Complaints like sleeping on a carpet, fetching water late due to village water schedules, and being stopped from socializing did not show a pattern of severe mistreatment.
The trial court had earlier convicted the family based on claims that the woman was insulted, isolated, and mistreated. However, the High Court noted there was no clear evidence of serious abuse or any action just before her death that could lead to suicide.
The judge pointed out that “cruelty” is a relative term and must be serious to be considered a criminal offense. Simple family disagreements or uncomfortable living conditions don’t necessarily mean the law was broken.
The Court also mentioned that the woman had not communicated any complaints or signs of distress to her family for two months before her death. Her last visit to her relatives was during Holi, in March, and her suicide happened in May—leaving a two-month gap with no evidence of cruelty in between.
Because of these findings, the High Court set aside the conviction, saying the earlier judgment was incorrect and the evidence did not support the charges under Section 498A or Section 306 (abetment to suicide).
Be a part our social media community:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndianMan.in?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/indianman.in?igsh=MWZ2N3N0ZmpwM3l3cw==
