The Andhra Pradesh High Court has ruled that a mother-in-law’s request for her daughter-in-law to excel in household work is not considered cruelty under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. The court rejected the argument that the deceased woman was subjected to cruelty by her husband and mother-in-law, who often asked her to improve her household work. According to the court, such comments or appreciation for household work are common in any household and do not amount to harassment or abuse.
During the appeal hearing, the court considered the case against a mother and her son, who had been convicted of causing the death of their daughter-in-law through dowry-related violence. The daughter-in-law passed away eight months after her marriage, and the complainant accused the appellants of subjecting her to cruelty during this period. The appellants were also charged with unfavorably comparing the wedding ceremony and preparations made by the bride’s family with those of the weddings of other sons in their family.
Despite the complainant’s claims of cruelty, the judge dismissed the argument that comparing marriage celebrations or requesting a newly married woman to improve her household work amounted to dowry-related violence under Section 304-B of the Indian Penal Code. The judge explained that requesting dowry alone does not constitute cruelty, and there must be evidence of abusive behavior in response to non-compliance with the demand for dowry.
The bench remarked in its order that the evidence presented was insufficient to convict the appellants of dowry-related death charges. The judge further noted that if the deceased woman had indeed experienced difficulties, there would have been someone around her whom she could have confided in.
The bench made further observations, stating that there was no incident of the accused driving the deceased away from their home, nor did she ever rush to her mother or brother to complain of any mistreatment. This suggested that the deceased was leading a typical family life with its usual joys and struggles. The testimony of the deceased’s parents did not reveal any concern about her well-being, nor did they inquire about her condition through neighbors, indicating that they had no reason to suspect anything negative. Based on these findings, the bench quashed the conviction.
Source: https://www.barandbench.com/news/mother-in-law-asking-daughter-in-law-perfect-household-work-not-cruelty-section-498a-ipc-andhra-pradesh-high-court