Abusing wife for talking to strangers not ill-treatment

Abusing wife for talking to strangers not ill-treatment

Abusing a woman for not doing household work or for talking to strangers or for objecting to the sale of household property doesn't come under the purview of ill-treatment as defined under 498(A)of IPC, the High Court of Karnataka has said.  Acquitting GR Lokanath and others who were convicted by the city track court in connection with the death of  Saritha, Justice Arali Nagaraj observed that since the alleged ill-treatment was not in connection with any unlawful demand (dowry), it cannot be categorised under 498(A). CN Raju, counsel for the accused, told the court that the allegations made against the petitioners are not traceable under 498(A). Saritha, who was married to Lokanath, met with homicidal death on March 10, 2007. Her mother Siddamma had filed a complaint against relatives of her son-in-law. Cases were booked under Sections 302(murder) and 498(A) of IPC. The trial court acquitted all the accused of the murder charge, but convicted them under Section 498(A) of IPC. Raju told the court that on March 10, 2007 Saitha's husband returned home to find his wife dead. The deceased's mother had filed a complaint, alleging harassment of her daughter by her in-laws and husband.   source : http://www.dnaindia.com/dnaprint.asp?newsid=1315742