High Court Rules That Forcing Daughter-in-Law to Sleep on Carpet, Restricting TV Access Is Not Cruelty
High Court Rules That Forcing Daughter-in-Law to Sleep on Carpet, Restricting TV Access Is Not Cruelty
Court finds domestic complaints, such as taunting and restricted TV access, do not meet “severe” cruelty standards under IPC Section 498A.
The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has overturned a 20-year-old conviction against a man and his family for alleged cruelty towards his deceased wife. The court ruled that accusations, including taunting, restricting her TV access, forbidding solo temple visits and making her sleep on a carpet, did not constitute “severe” actions under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The acquittal comes after the family’s appeal against a lower court’s decision that had convicted them under IPC Sections 498A and 306, related to cruelty and abetment to suicide. In the October 17 ruling, Justice Abhay S. Waghwase highlighted that the allegations largely revolved around domestic conflicts and did not reach the level of physical or mental cruelty outlined in the IPC.
Family members of the deceased had alleged that she was forced to perform tasks like fetching water at midnight. However, witness testimonies revealed that in Varangaon, where the family resided, midnight water collection was customary, with households gathering water at around 1:30 am due to local supply schedules.
