Bombay High Court's big decision: 'Taunting wife or not allowing her to watch TV cannot be cruelty'

The Bombay High Court gave a shocking verdict on Saturday. The Court says that under Section 498A of the IPC, taunting the wife, not allowing her to go to the temple alone, or making her sleep on the carpet cannot be considered 'cruelty'.

According to the Hindustan Times report, the court acquitted a man and his family convicted under Section 498A and 306 (abetment to suicide) of the IPC. Allegedly due to their actions, a woman committed suicide in 2002. The bench was hearing the case on the appeal of the accused, who was convicted by the trial court in April 2004.

According to the high court's October 17 order, the allegations against the accused include taunting the deceased woman for the food cooked by her, not allowing her to interact with neighbours or go to the temple alone, not allowing her to watch TV, making her sleep on a mat.

The order also mentioned that the deceased woman was not allowed to throw garbage alone and was also asked to fetch water at midnight. The high court said that such allegations of cruelty cannot be considered serious under the relevant section, as it relates to domestic affairs of the house.

The court said that it cannot be termed as an offence in the eyes of law. The bench also explained that cruelty, which may be either mental or physical, being relative, cannot be straight jacketed, reported Live Law.

Justice Abhay S Waghwase wrote in his order, "Even sleeping on a mat alone will not amount to cruelty." Similarly, the nature of taunting and by which the accused has not been clarified. Likewise, preventing her from mingling with neighbours cannot be termed harassment.

He also noted from the testimony of the witnesses that, in the village where the woman and her in-laws were residing, water supply was done at midnight and all the houses used to fetch water at 1:30 in the night.