The Delhi High Court quashed an FIR against distant relatives in a dowry case, ruling that a mere demand of dowry without evidence of cruelty is not an offence under Section 498A IPC. The Court cautioned, however, that genuine dowry harassment remains a serious offence.
The Calcutta High Court ruled that asking an educated, earning wife to share household expenses or pay EMIs for joint property is not cruelty under Section 498A IPC. The Court quashed the criminal case against a husband and his father, stressing that normal financial expectations in marriage cannot be treated as harassment.
The Bombay High Court ruled that restrictions on a daughter-in-law, including not watching TV or visiting temples alone, cannot be treated as cruelty under Section 498A IPC. The Court overturned the conviction of her husband and in-laws.
The Karnataka High Court has held that a husband must maintain his wife and child if the wife quit her job at his insistence. The Court clarified that paying school fees alone does not fulfill his duty of financial support.
The Allahabad High Court dismissed a cruelty case against a husband, observing that the dispute with his wife was due to sexual incompatibility, not dowry harassment or cruelty.
The Punjab & Haryana High Court fined a woman ₹1 lakh for filing a false cruelty case against her 100% disabled in-laws. The court found the allegations impossible and declared the FIR a misuse of law.
The Delhi High Court ruled that merely seeing a woman crying cannot prove dowry harassment. The Court upheld the discharge of her husband and in-laws, noting that the woman died of pneumonia, not cruelty.
The Allahabad High Court has granted relief to two sisters-in-law accused in a dowry harassment case under Section 498A IPC. The court ruled that they were falsely implicated, as they were already married and living away during the alleged incidents.
The Kerala High Court clarified that small disputes in marriage can’t be treated as cruelty or dowry harassment under Section 498A IPC unless there’s clear evidence of cruelty linked to unlawful dowry demands.
The Delhi High Court highlighted that dowry deaths are not always due to male dominance alone. It pointed out that women too, at times, play a role in perpetuating abuse against other women within families.
