Section 498A of the IPC provides the punishment for the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman who subjects her to cruelty.
The Delhi High Court has ruled that merely asking a married woman to assist in caring for a family member does not constitute cruelty under criminal law, quashing cases against a husband and his family.
A sessions court in Delhi has upheld the acquittal of a man in a domestic cruelty and marital rape case, citing vague allegations and contradictions in the complainant's statements.
The Supreme Court has quashed criminal proceedings against the in-laws of a woman who alleged dowry-related harassment, citing a lack of specific evidence linking them to the alleged crimes.
A Delhi court has acquitted a man and six of his relatives in a dowry death case, citing insufficient evidence of dowry-related harassment leading to the woman's suicide.
The single judge bench of Justice S Rachaiah in its judgement recently said, "Once PW.1 (complainant woman) is considered as second wife of the petitioner, obviously, the complaint filed against the petitioner for the offence under Section 498-A of IPC ought not to have been entertained."
A Delhi court has acquitted a man and his parents in a dowry death case, citing the prosecution's failure to establish allegations of cruelty or dowry harassment. The case involved the suicide of a woman within seven years of marriage, but key witnesses denied any dowry demands or harassment.
A Delhi court acquitted a man accused of dowry death and cruelty in his wife's suicide case, citing a lack of reliable evidence and hostile testimonies from key prosecution witnesses. However, he was found guilty under Section 174A of the IPC for failing to appear in court.
The Allahabad High Court has criticised lapses in the registration of a police case where, despite a rape allegation in the complaint, the FIR failed to include relevant sections. The court has ordered senior police and administrative officials to submit reports explaining the discrepancies and outlining corrective measures.
A Delhi court has acquitted a man and his family members in a dowry death case, citing the prosecution's failure to prove allegations of cruelty or dowry demand.
The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to make dowry harassment and maintenance provisions "gender neutral." The court stated that it cannot legislate law and it is the responsibility of Parliament to look into such matters. The PIL, filed by an NGO, argued that these provisions are often misused to harass husbands and their families. The court, however, emphasized that every case must be judged on its own merits, and that the provisions are intended to protect women and children. The court also noted that the allegation of misuse was vague and that such claims should be examined on a case-by-case basis.
The Allahabad high court has observed that 'protection of a person' from being charged in 'marital rape continues in cases where the wife is of 18 years of age or more'.
"My son used to say that there is a lot of corruption but he will fight as he is on the path of truth. He was broken from inside, though he didn't tell anyone anything," Subhash's father Pawan Kumar told ANI.
The Supreme Court of India has said that mere harassment is not sufficient to hold someone guilty of the offence of abetting suicide, and there must be clear evidence of direct or indirect incitement.
Deepak Pandey was booked by Azad Maidan police station in Mumbai with charges of subjecting his wife Nidhi Pandey, an IAS officer, to cruelty (section 498-A, IPC) and criminal intimidation (section 506, IPC).
Section 498-A of the IPC deals with the offence of subjecting a woman to cruelty by the husband or his relatives.
The Supreme Court of India harshly criticized a man for abandoning his wife and minor daughters, calling his actions "cruel" and questioning his humanity. The court demanded the man provide financial support to his family, including his daughters, before it would consider any favorable orders in his case. The man had previously been convicted of domestic abuse and fraudulently removing his wife's uterus. The court's strong stance highlights the ongoing issue of domestic violence and the need for legal protection for women and children in India.
The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly criticized the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for exceeding its authority and misusing its powers. The latest rebuke came on Thursday, when the court accused the agency of 'crossing all limits' in a money laundering probe against a Tamil Nadu state-run liquor retailer. This follows a string of similar observations by the Supreme Court and high courts across India, raising concerns about the ED's investigative practices and the potential for misuse of its powers.
The top court said the direction to create family welfare committees in every district and the power conferred in them was 'not in accord with the statutory framework'.
The Save Indian Family Foundation, a men's rights organisation fighting against misuse of marital laws and domestic violence act, on Monday, voiced its concern over section 498 A (harassment) of IPC being filed against Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and reiterated its demand for scrapping it.
Tharoor was charged under sections 498A and 306 of the Indian Penal Code by Delhi police, but was not arrested in the case.
"In the present case, it cannot be said that the accused had ever intended or acted in such a manner which under normal circumstances would drive the deceased to commit suicide," special judge Geetanjali Goel said in the detailed order that discharged Tharoor.
A Kerala court on Tuesday sentenced to 10 years in jail the husband of Vismaya, an Ayurveda medical student who hanged herself in her marital home in June last year, for dowry death.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has discharged a 37-year-old man in a rape case filed against him by his wife after observing that sexual intercourse or any sexual act with a legally wedded wife is not rape even if done by force or against her wish.
Every nine minutes a married man commits suicide in India due to alleged misuse of section 498a of IPC against them, taking the toll to around a whopping 64,000 every year, says a report.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, accused in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death, has told a Delhi court that he should be discharged as various investigations have been conducted by experts but they have not given a "definite opinion on the cause of death".
Tharoor had earlier said post mortem and other medical reports have allegedly established that it was neither a suicide nor homicide.
"One or two instances of physical assault," even if found to be true, cannot make for a case of cruelty for the purpose of satisfying unlawful demand, a Delhi court has observed, while discharging the in-laws of a woman in a dowry harassment case.
"The court has directed the police to lodge a case of dowry torture under Section 498/A of the IPC against Shahnaz Hussain and to investigate into the case" a sub-inspector in Patna's Gandhi Maidan police station told rediff.com on Saturday. Rabiya, who has filed a 40-page complaint petition in the chief judicial magistrate's court, Patna, said Shahnaz tortured her when she was pregnant for the first time.
A husband and his relatives cannot be prosecuted for 'cruelty' towards wife merely because the mother-in-law or other family members had kicked her or for that matter threatened her with divorce, the Supreme Court has held.
Kolkata Police, which is investigating Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), has written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India to seek information of the route of his last match in South Africa.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the response of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Commission for Women (NCW) and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) to pleas challenging the constitutional validity of polygamy and 'nikah halala' among Muslims.
The Delhi police on Thursday approached the high court challenging a trial court's 2021 order discharging Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in connection with his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death case.
Earlier this week, in a string of social media posts, Shami's wife Hasin Jahan, had accused the India pacer of being unfaithful in the marriage.
A five-judge Constitution bench said the SC is empowered under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice.
The 9th phase of the Lok Sabha elections has 119 candidates, out of the 601 contesting, facing IPC charges registered against them.
The Supreme Court said on Thursday it will set up a fresh five-judge Constitution bench to hear the pleas challenging the constitutional validity of polygamy and 'nikah halala' among Muslims.
Tharoor was earlier summoned as an accused by a magisterial court for the alleged offences of abetment of suicide and committing cruelty towards Pushkar.
Mohammed Shami's wife Hasin Jahan has sent the documents related to her complaints against her husband to the BCCI's Committee of Administrators (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai for a probe into her allegations of corruption, her lawyer said on Thursday.
Vismaya, 22, was found dead in the house of her husband at Sasthamkotta in Kollam district on June 21, 2021.
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