Karnataka High Court stays case after woman claims husband denied her french fries
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has stayed proceedings in a case where a woman accused her husband of cruelty under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code for denying her French fries, rice, and meat after she delivered their baby, as reported by Bar and Bench.
The matter came up for hearing before the Karnataka High Court on August 22, 2024. The learned judge granted interim relief to the husband by staying the proceedings of the complaint and dismissing the complaint as "absolutely trivial" and a "misuse and abuse" of the judicial system.
"Allowing any investigation against the husband would become an abuse of the process of law and put a premium on the allegations of the wife that she was not given to eat French fries at the relevant point of time," the judge observed. Consequently, an interim stay was ordered on all investigations involving the husband.
The judge also permitted the husband, an industrial attachment student, to proceed to the United States for employment after filing an affidavit in which he pledged to cooperate with investigators. The complaint had initially included the woman's in-laws, whom she accused of starving her by denying nourishing meals like chips, rice, and meat after childbirth. The High Court had previously stayed the proceedings against her parents-in-law.
During the court proceedings, the husband countered by claiming that throughout their six-year marriage, while they were living in the United States, his wife wanted him to do housework while she spent time on the phone and watching Pakistani dramas.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, after reviewing the mutual accusations, criticized the misuse of the legal system and noted that in this case, a Look Out Circular against the husband, which prevented his return to the US, was being "used as a weapon."
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Women''s Bill: Stalin says proposal amid polls raises suspicion; backs 33 per cent reservation
Chennai (PTI): Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday alleged that the proposed amendment to ensure 33 per cent reservation for women in the midst of polls in states including Tamil Nadu appeared to be yet another political manoeuvre aimed at shaping electoral narratives.
Stalin alleged the timing for the proposed amendment led to serious suspicion.
"Why push such a far-reaching decision in the middle of state elections. This appears to be yet another political manoeuvre aimed at shaping electoral narratives, much like earlier attempts to influence women voters ahead of the 2024 Parliament elections," he alleged in a statement titled "This is not reform, this is reengineering power."
Further, he said: "Let me be unequivocal: we strongly support 33 per cent reservation for women. Our support is absolute. But it must be implemented without increasing seats and without punishing states that acted responsibly. If the intent is genuine, nothing prevents immediate implementation within the existing framework."
Demanding fair delimitation, he alleged there was complete opacity on the basis for delimitation and asked would the exercise rely on 1971 figures from a pre–population control era or the 2021 Census. "Conflicting signals and vague assurances only deepen suspicion." This move would also impose a massive financial burden on states, forcing them to expand or rebuild Legislative Assemblies, all without proper consultation.
"This is a direct assault on cooperative federalism. This is not reform, it is a unilateral, politically driven exercise designed to concentrate power, weaken Parliament, marginalise the South, and undermine social justice," he alleged. "The nation deserves answers: why this undue haste, why shift the goalposts, and who truly stands to benefit."
The NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is systematically eroding the very foundations of Parliament, he alleged.
The Dravidian party chief claimed: "What should be a vibrant forum for debate and accountability is being reduced to a hollow ritual, a stage where members may not even get fair time to speak or represent their people. This proposal to increase seats is a direct contradiction of their own slogan of minimum government, maximum governance. It will only inflate expenditure, burden taxpayers, and dilute the quality of parliamentary functioning."
This also went against the spirit of Article 1 of the Constitution, which defines India as a Union of States. Ignoring the voices of states and bypassing meaningful consultation is not democratic - it is unitary overreach that undermines the country's federal and plural character.
More alarmingly, this exercise will blatantly skew representation and tilt the balance of power in favour of northern states dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party, while silencing the voice of south India, he claimed.
"As forcefully pointed out by veteran leader Siddaramaiah (Karnataka CM), this is not a neutral exercise; it is a calculated political restructuring. Northern states stand to gain nearly double the (Parliamentary) seats, while the South’s share stagnates at around 24 per cent. This is nothing short of penalising states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Keralam and Telangana for their success in population control."
Chief Ministers across the South, including Siddaramaiah, Pinarayi Vijayan and A Revanth Reddy have rightly warned that this move will distort federalism and concentrate power in a few regions, the DMK president alleged.
PM Modi said on Thursday that the proposed amendments to the Women Reservation Act are not just a legislative exercise but a reflection of the aspirations of crores of women across India and urged all MPs to come together to support this significant move.
He had last week announced an extension of the Budget session of Parliament by three days, from April 16 to 18, so that the Women's Reservation Act can be amended for its implementation from 2029.
