Karnataka HC: Section 498A IPC Not Applicable on Void / “Void-ab-initio” Marriages

The Karnataka High Court ruled that offences under Section 498A (cruelty to married woman) IPC cannot be invoked where marriage is void ab initio — i.e. invalid from the beginning. The Court observed that if a marriage is legally void (for want of valid rites / conditions), no matrimonial rights or obligations arise, and hence no cruelty claim under 498A can survive. This judgment will affect many matrimonial and cruelty-related cases, especially where legality of marriage itself is disputed. It clarifies jurisprudence on interplay of marriage validity and matrimonial offences.