The Karnataka High Court has put a stay on an investigation into a cruelty case filed under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against a man accused of not allowing his wife to eat French fries
Justice M Nagaprasanna, presiding over the case, found the allegations to be trivial and ruled that continuing the investigation would be an abuse of the legal process.
The complaint, filed by the wife, accused both her husband and his parents of cruelty, claiming that her husband refused to let her eat French fries, rice, and meat shortly after she gave birth to their child. The Court had already stayed the probe against the husband’s parents, and on Thursday, it extended the stay to include the husband as well.
In his petition, filed through Advocate Shanthi Bhushan H, the husband argued that the complaint was frivolous. He also sought the Court’s permission to travel to the United States for work, which had been hindered by a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him following the wife’s complaint. The Court accepted his assurance that he would cooperate with the investigation and granted him permission to travel.
The husband, in his defense, claimed that during their six years of living together in the U.S. before their child’s birth, he was forced to do all the household chores while his wife spent her time on the phone or watching television, particularly Pakistani dramas. The Court found the allegations against him vague and questioned the basis for the Section 498A charge.
Justice Nagaprasanna expressed concern over the misuse of the legal system, noting that the LOC had been used as a “weapon” against the husband. He further stated that the investigation against the husband was unwarranted and that the complaint appeared to be an abuse of legal process. Consequently, the High Court ordered an interim stay on the investigation into the case against the husband.
(With inputs from agency)
Share your news, articles, deals, columns, or press releases with us! Click the link to submit and join our platform today.
