A landmark court judgment saw a bedridden father-in-law get quit 498A case quashed. One story in particular is that a wife filed her case under Section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code. The case was against her husband’s family stating it was a case of cruelty and dowry harassment. Her father-in-law had been bedridden for six years.
The court held the case as false against him. Once again, the 498A case quashed shows a growing concern in India that ‘misuse’ is taking place under Section 498-A. It has been reported that a wife had lodged this case due to the husband’s reluctance to stay away from his family. Such cases trigger debates on ‘how some people misuse legal provisions in the name of protection for women, as personal vengeance’.
The court here opined that the allegations were ‘frivolous and motivated’. That the 498A case quashed brings many discussions on the larger issue of false dowry harassment cases. There are strong voices that while it is so that a situation where the high incidence of false claims in the guise of harassment and cruelty against women casts a shadow over the few genuine cases prevents actual victims from getting justice.
Video circulates as 498A case quashed: Watch the verdict
A large number of men raise their concerns that the cases can become extremely easy to file and that innocent families get wrongly implicated. For example, the video of the courtroom proceedings went viral. As the 498A case quashed ruling circulated on the internet public reaction was divided. Some called for stringent punishments for those who file false cases.
Others pointed to the complexity of the issue. The inaccessibility of legal systems should not be misused as both the accusers.Tthe victims are adversely affected in the process. “One of the users wrote, People with genuine cases are getting ignored because of them.”
Another pointed out, “Many wives and their mothers are themselves forcing husbands/sons-in-law to leave their Parents/Siblings and live separately with wife or at her parents home and safe women are giving sermons “hum betiyea Maa Baap ko old age home kabi nahi bej tae” when they are the only reason.”
One of the users took a dig at man marriage and wrote, “Man marriage is scary. Thank God I just dodge the ball.” One of the users also took a dig at the judge. The statement reads, “If the judge orders a polygraph test or something more instructive all the cases would be solved quickly.”
Notably, article 498A reads,
Whoever, being the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.
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