The Supreme Court has issued a strong warning against the misuse of laws in marital dispute cases, specifically addressing complaints filed by women against their husbands and families. The Court stated that legal provisions should not be used as a "tool to unleash personal vendetta," reported India Today.
This observation came as the Supreme Court set aside a cruelty case filed under Section 498(A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which the Telangana High Court had previously refused to dismiss.
Section 498(A) of the IPC, part of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was designed to protect married women from cruelty by their husbands or in-laws. The law provides for a punishment of imprisonment for a term of 3 years or more, along with a possible fine for the accused. In this particular case, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the man and his family, who had been accused of cruelty, and overturned the High Court’s decision to allow the case to proceed.
The woman in this case filed a complaint after her husband petitioned for the dissolution of their marriage. During the Supreme Court’s hearing, it was emphasized that merely naming family members in such cases, without presenting concrete evidence of their involvement, cannot serve as the basis for criminal prosecution.
The Court further explained that Section 498(A) was introduced to protect women from cruelty by their husbands or in-laws, ensuring swift state intervention in such cases. However, it noted a concerning trend in recent years, with an increase in matrimonial disputes and tensions within marriages. This rise, the Court observed, has led to a growing misuse of provisions like Section 498(A) as a means for a wife to exact personal vendetta against the husband and his family.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court underscored the necessity of upholding the original intent of the law while safeguarding against its potential abuse.
The Supreme Court further emphasized that making "vague and generalised" allegations in marital dispute cases could result in the misuse of legal processes, allowing wives and their families to apply undue pressure on the husband and his family. The Court noted that, at times, Section 498(A) is "invoked as a tactic to force the husband into complying with unreasonable demands from the wife."
The Court pointed out that it has consistently cautioned against prosecuting a husband and his family in such cases unless there is a clear prima facie case against them.
According to India Today, in this particular case, the Supreme Court found that the Telangana High Court had "committed a grave error" by refusing to dismiss the case. The Court stated that the wife had filed the case with ulterior motives, likely aiming to settle personal scores or grievances, and that such a misuse of the law should not be tolerated.