Supreme Court cautions against over-implication of in-laws in 498A cases
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued a warning to state prosecution and the judiciary, urging caution to prevent the “over-implication” of in-laws in domestic harassment cases under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The directive was delivered in a recent judgment by a Bench comprising Justices C.T. Ravikumar and Sanjay Kumar.
The warning came during the hearing of an appeal by a man, the brother-in-law of the victim, who was charged with harassment despite a lack of concrete evidence linking him to the alleged offence. The incident dates back to April 2011, and the appellant had married into the family just five months before the victim’s death.
The case began when the woman’s father lodged a complaint with Maharashtra Police, alleging that his daughter was subjected to mental and physical torture by her husband and in-laws to extort ₹5 lakh for purchasing a flat. The victim’s body was discovered with ligature marks and abrasions, leading to suspicions of foul play.
Despite the man’s claim of innocence, both the session’s court and the Bombay High Court dismissed his appeal, asserting his involvement. In the Supreme Court, the appellant argued that he had minimal interaction with the deceased and had no opportunity to harass her.
Justice Ravikumar, writing for the Bench, emphasized the prevalence of exaggerated complaints in such cases, stating, “Exaggerated versions of the incident are common, and over-implication is frequently observed.” The court underscored the need for judicial prudence in distinguishing genuine cases from those involving baseless allegations, to prevent unjust suffering.
The judgment further criticized the lower courts for delivering a “perverse” finding of guilt against the appellant, noting the complete lack of evidence connecting him to the offence.“The appellant has suffered ignominy and legal consequences without any material evidence against him,” the Bench observed, setting aside the conviction.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
