Best illustration of abuse of law: Karnataka HC stays case by woman against husband, family
Bengaluru, Jun 10: The High Court of Karnataka passed an interim order of stay on the complaint filed by a woman, alleging among other things, rape, by her husband with whom she lived for only one day.
“If this cannot be a case where the complainant has abused the process of law, prima facie, there cannot be a better illustration,” the high court said while granting the stay on the criminal process against the husband and his family members.
The husband and his family members had approached the high court challenging the complaint filed by the wife and the registration of the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The two were colleagues at an MNC motorbike showroom in Bengaluru.
They courted each other for four years before marrying on January 27, 2023 in a temple and they got the marriage registered before the Registrar of Marriages in Malleshwaram. The same day, the wife’s birthday was celebrated.
The husband allegedly came to know of the wife’s earlier affair and her being in touch with the other person on WhatsApp.
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An argument broke out the following day, which led to the wife walking out of the matrimonial house on January 29.
“It is averred that she threatened to end the marriage with the first petitioner. From 29.01.2023 to 01.03.2023 close to 32 days there was no interaction between the two, and after 32 days, complainant files a complaint before the jurisdictional police alleging the afore-quoted offences,” the high court noted.
The wife’s police complaint said that she “did not know what happened to her on the date of marriage. She claims she was intoxicated. She further claims that she does not remember having signed anything before the Registrar of Marriages. She further alleges that the petitioners on coming to know of her earlier affair had tortured her. As per the allegations in the complaint, though she was married, because of the aforesaid circumstances, the alleged sexual act between the two after marriage amounts to rape.”
The high court which heard the husband’s and his family members’ petition said, “The complainant having fallen in love, being in a relationship for few years marries the first petitioner, lives for few days and then alleges rape. It does not stop at the first petitioner, but all the members of the family of the first petitioner who were present at the marriage are dragged into the web of crime.”
Granting the interim stay, the high court said, “Therefore, there shall be an interim order of stay of investigation and further proceedings in Crime No.23 of 2023 qua the petitioners, till the disposal of the petition. Accordingly, application stands allowed.”
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Authorities prepare 50 master trainers to dispel fears about disposal of Carbide waste in Dhar
Dhar (PTI): Authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district on Monday started coaching 50 master trainers about 337 tonnes of Union Carbide factory waste brought to Pithampur for incineration before they set out to spread awareness that the waste is not hazardous.
The state government has gone on the backfoot after the public outcry against waste disposal and two self-immolation bids in the Pithampur industrial area, which witnessed protests earlier this month.
Talking to PTI, Dhar Collector Priyank Mishra said, "We are preparing 50-odd master trainers, including science teachers, professors and officials. They will be informed about the exact status of the waste before they reach out to people to dispel misinformation."
On January 6, the principal bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur granted the state government six weeks to act on the Union Carbide factory waste disposal as per the safety guidelines. The authorities had sought time to educate people and dispel their fear about waste disposal following protests in Pithampur.
Mishra said the master trainers will start their outreach on Tuesday, and 50 more master trainers will be roped in.
"We will give presentations via video with content and other mediums to master trainers," he said.
On January 2, the waste, packed in 12 sealed containers, was shifted from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal to the disposal site at Pithampur, located 250 km from the state capital.
It has 700 factories in three sectors.
Hours after it reached Pithampur, protests commenced in the industrial town, around 50 km from the Dhar district headquarters.
The agitators had claimed that the disposal would harm humans and the environment.
On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, killing at least 5,479 persons and leaving thousands with serious injuries and long-lasting health issues.
During a hearing on December 3, 2024, the high court pulled up the authorities for failing to dispose of the waste at the defunct Union Carbide factory.
The court had asked the government to remove and transport the waste from the site within four weeks and warned of contempt proceedings if it failed to act on the directive.
