This case promotes fairness and integrity within the legal system by highlighting the importance of judicial scrutiny in safeguarding individuals from false accusations of Dowry harassment Case and 498a case.
The recent judgment by the Karnataka High Court in the matter of C B Prakash vs. State of Karnataka, the court stepped in to shield innocent family members from the misuse of process of law in Dowry Harassment and Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. The IPC section 498s deals with cruelty by husband or relatives of the husband.
The bench highlighted a concerning trend that entire families getting dragged into legal battles based on false accusations, quashed the case filed by a wife against the father-in-law and the mother-in-law.
“There are scores and scores of cases where allegations are made that have pointed overt acts by every member of the family which are sustained and further trial is permitted. There are even scores and scores of cases where every member of the family without rhyme or reason is dragged into the web of crime by frivolous complaints registered by the complainant/wife while the entire grievance is against the husband and every imaginary member of the family is dragged in. It is these cases which are to be nipped in the bud. Bud, I mean, at the stage of registration of the crime”, the bench in noted.
Marital Discord
The case involved a couple who married in October 2021. After the two months of marriage, the husband relocated to Germany due to work commitments, after that the relationship between the couple faltered which created marital strain, leading the wife to file a complaint under Section 498A, accusing her husband and his parents of harassment.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, observing the false accusations in marital disputes emphasized the misuse of Section 498A. There were no specific allegations that how the in-laws were involved in any cruelty found in the complaint.
Justice Served: Due Process Protected
The court, upon reviewing the charge sheet, found no reason to include the in-laws in the investigation. It emphasized that allowing such inclusions would be an abuse of legal processes and could lead to miscarriages of justice.
“In the light of unequivocal facts narrated hereinabove and the finding that there is no allegation against these petitioners, permitting further investigation would become an abuses of the process of law and result in miscarriage of justice.”, the bench noted.
Bench concerned about increasing tendency of implicating relatives
“at numerous instances expressed concern over the misuse of Section 498-AIPC and the increased tendency of implicating relatives of the husband in matrimonial disputes, without analysing the long-term ramifications of a trial on the complainant as well as the accused.”, the bench noted.
The bench, allowed the criminal petition and ensured the fairness and integrity within the legal system.
Similar sections in Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita: BNS Section 85 are similar of IPC 498a