Supreme Court Rules Out Financial Dominance as Matrimonial Cruelty: Landmark Ruling Protects Marriage Disputes from Abuse of Law
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In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has clarified that financial dominance by a husband over his estranged wife does not amount to cruelty. The court emphasized that criminal litigation should not be used as a means to settle scores or pursue personal vendettas in marriage disputes. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan made this observation while quashing a criminal case filed by a wife against her estranged husband, alleging cruelty and dowry harassment. The court highlighted that the husband's financial control, as alleged by the wife, did not constitute an instance of cruelty, especially since no tangible mental or physical harm was caused. The court also rejected the wife's claim that seeking details of expenses from the husband was an act of cruelty. Instead, it viewed the discord over expenses as a normal aspect of marriage, which cannot be categorized as cruelty under the Indian Penal Code. The Supreme Court cautioned that courts must be careful and cautious when dealing with matrimonial cases, scrutinizing allegations with greater care to prevent miscarriage of justice and abuse of the law. The ruling came on an appeal filed by the husband against the Telangana High Court's refusal to quash the FIR against him and his family members. The apex court clarified that its observations will not impact any ongoing matrimonial or other proceedings between the parties, which will be decided on their merits and in accordance with the law.
