DHNS
 
Bangalore Apr 9: There is this general complaint among men that laws tilt towards women. However, here is a judgment that should put a smile on the faces of men. The High Court, in an interesting ruling, has held that ‘reprimanding’ one’s wife to mend her ways would not amount to cruelty or dowry harassment.

The instant case dealt with an appeal by the State government against an order of acquittal. A man from Bangalore was booked under the Dowry Prohibition Act after his wife had committed suicide.

The prosecution contended that the woman was driven to suicide as she was unable to bear the harassment meted out to her with relation to dowry. Following the incident, the police booked the husband under the Dowry Prohibition Act. The defence by the husband was that he had only reprimanded her several times since she needed to mend her ways. Upset by this, the woman committed suicide, he added. He also contended that there was no dowry harassment involved in the case.

Justice K Sreedhar Rao while rejecting the appeal by the State, observed that advising the wife to be "more compatible" with the family and to take an interest in domestic chores cannot be considered an act of cruelty.

"In a social set-up of family, it is necessary that everyone in the family evinces equal amount of interest in the welfare and well-being of family. In this case, the deceased having led a marital life for seven years with two children before committing suicide, itself suggests her careless and unmotherly attitude."

On the charge of dowry, the court observed that when a charge under Section 498-A is levelled, it is mandatory that the prosecution establishes the cruelty was perpetrated on the wife and the same was of such a nature that it had driven the woman to suicide.