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.
Official data reveals that Delhi recorded 141 dowry death cases in 2021, the highest in five years, with a subsequent gradual decline. The COVID-19 pandemic is cited as a factor exacerbating domestic tensions. Cases of cruelty by husband or relatives under Section 498A also show significant numbers, alongside efforts to strengthen prosecution and increase awareness.
A man, his mother, and his brother have been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to murder his wife over dowry demands in Delhi.
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.
A Delhi court has convicted a doctor from Bihar for the dowry death of his wife, who died of poisoning shortly after their marriage in 2014, due to dowry-related harassment.
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 local court in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the murder of his mentally challenged wife. The man repeatedly electrocuted her while she was tied to a cot in their home.
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 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 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.
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 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.
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 Bombay High Court has transferred the investigation into the death of a woman, allegedly due to dowry harassment in 2023, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing significant discrepancies in the police investigation.
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."
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 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.
35,493 brides were killed in India between 2017 and 2022 -- averaging nearly 20 deaths a day -- over dowry demands, sometimes occurring even years after the wedding.
"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 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.
In the aftermath of the 34-year-old techie's suicide in Bengaluru, a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court has sought the appointment of an expert committee to review and reform the existing dowry and domestic violence laws to stop their misuse.
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'.
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.
Section 498-A of the IPC deals with the offence of subjecting a woman to cruelty by the husband or his relatives.
The controversy deepened after a video surfaced showing Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at the wedding, personally handing over a Fortuner SUV and making a remark widely interpreted as normalising dowry.
Nikita said she got married to Subhash on April 26, 2019. She alleged that after marriage her husband and in-laws were dissatisfied with what her parents gave them during the wedding and demanded Rs 10 lakh more.
Tharoor was charged under sections 498A and 306 of the Indian Penal Code by Delhi police, but was not arrested in the case.
Circle Officer (Sadar) Shilpa Verma on Friday said based on the complaint lodged by Tarannum, a case has been registered against her husband Mohammad Raseed at the Dhanepur police station in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, and the matter is being investigated.
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.
"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.
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'.
Tharoor had earlier said post mortem and other medical reports have allegedly established that it was neither a suicide nor homicide.
A five-judge Constitution bench said the SC is empowered under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice.
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".
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 court also directed Delhi police to preserve vigilance report in the matter.
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.
The evidence on record, from close scrutiny, also leads to the conclusion that the wife used to insult the husband on the premise that he is dark and for the same reason has moved away from the company of the husband without any cause, the court noted.
"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.
After a Delhi court discharged Shashi Tharoor in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death, the senior Congress leader on Wednesday said his faith in the Indian judiciary stands vindicated and the ruling brings a "significant conclusion to the long nightmare" which had enveloped him.
