Bombay High Court Questions State Govt’s Withdrawal of Proposal to Make Section 498A IPC Compoundable

Bombay High Court has raised serious constitutional and separation-of-powers concerns over the Maharashtra Government’s decision to withdraw a legislative proposal (passed in 2018) to make offences under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code compoundable. The Court asked how the executive could retract a decision already taken by the legislature, and called for a response from both state and union authorities. The matter probes the boundaries between legislative intent and executive discretion, with potential ramifications for matrimonial-cruelty laws and access to consensual settlements.