The Bombay High Court recently denied a plea to dismiss proceedings under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, which addresses cruelty by a husband or his relatives. In a striking observation, Justices AS Gadkari and Neela Gokhale highlighted a disturbing practice: three sisters-in-law of the complainant were forcing her to showcase a clean house via video calls. The court described this as a “peculiar and sadistic” form of mistreatment.
The case emerged from a complaint by a woman who alleged that her sisters-in-law, living separately, were meddling in her domestic life. They not only removed her house help but also compelled her to verify the cleanliness of her home through WhatsApp video calls. Additionally, they dictated her daily meals. The complainant’s husband, according to her, questioned her character and instigated conflicts over trivial matters. The family also harassed her through a WhatsApp group, eventually driving her out of the house.
The petitioners argued that the marital dispute had been unjustly escalated to a criminal level, accusing the complainant of manipulating the police and seeking to extort maintenance. They claimed both parties had agreed to a mutual divorce, suggesting the misuse of legal proceedings by the complainant.
However, the court found the allegations in the FIR and witness statements compelling. It noted that the complainant’s ‘Streedhan’ (a woman’s personal property given to her at the time of marriage) was withheld by the petitioners, who were also accused of treating her with extreme cruelty. The court concluded that the allegations warranted serious consideration and refused to dismiss the FIR, asserting that the complainant’s fears for her safety were legitimate.
This ruling underscores the court’s stance against trivializing or dismissing complaints of domestic abuse, particularly those involving psychological and emotional harassment.
