Any And Every Cruelty Or Harassment Of Wife Will Not Attract Section 498A Of IPC: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court acquitted a husband accused of abetting his wife’s suicide by torturing her, ruling that not every instance of cruelty or harassment falls under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court held that to convict someone under Section 498A, the prosecution must prove continuous harassment aimed at coercing the woman to meet unlawful demands. In this case, the court found no evidence of a continuous state of affairs of torture by the husband. The allegations of cruelty were general and did not establish that the husband willfully drove his wife to commit suicide. The decision highlights the need for concrete evidence to support charges under Section 498A.