Practical legal writing on 498A, matrimonial disputes, criminal allegations, maintenance, custody and Indian court procedure.
A 28-year-old father faced massive child-treatment expenses, debt and a â‚ą15 lakh divorce settlement. Police say he blamed nobody. But Sambhav Jain's death raises a bigger question: when will India's male-suicide crisis receive institutional attention?
A Vadodara Family Court held that a husband cannot avoid his maintenance obligation merely because his wife failed to establish her claim that he earned ₹1 lakh per month or because she was capable of earning herself. The court considered the parties’ financial circumstances while addressing maintenance liability and the amount payable.
The Kerala High Court dismissed a husband’s plea seeking to quash domestic violence proceedings initiated by his wife after approximately six years of separation. The Court held that delay by itself is not sufficient grounds to terminate proceedings under the Domestic Violence Act. The ruling indicates that the allegations and circumstances of the case must be considered rather than quashing the proceedings solely because the complaint was filed after a substantial gap.
Comedian Pranit More has approached the Supreme Court seeking the clubbing of FIRs registered in two states over the same â‚ą370 biryani controversy. His plea raises questions about facing multiple criminal proceedings arising from the same alleged episode. The Supreme Court will consider his request in accordance with the applicable legal principles, while the allegations themselves remain subject to judicial determination.
A woman has filed a rape case against Amarjit Singh Chawla, who held positions in the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and SGPC. Following the allegations, Chawla resigned from his posts. He has denied the accusations, describing them as “completely false and baseless.” The allegations remain subject to investigation and legal proceedings.
Matrimonial dispute settled. Mutual consent divorce granted. Yet the 498A case against the husband continued — until the Calcutta High Court stepped in and quashed the prosecution.
The Madras High Court held that a woman who married a man without knowing that his first marriage was still subsisting could not, on that basis, be treated as an offender for bigamy under Section 82 BNS. The Court also observed that such a second wife does not fall within the expression “relative of the husband” for prosecution for cruelty under Section 85 BNS, corresponding to Section 498A IPC.
The Allahabad High Court observed that the wife was pursuing maintenance from her husband through different proceedings before different courts while having filed neither a divorce petition nor a petition for restitution of conjugal rights (RCR). The Court described her as “merely fighting for getting maintenance” and cautioned that multiplication of optional litigation places an unwarranted burden on Family Courts and delays other cases.
The Bombay High Court granted bail to Renuka Khanna, accused in the 2023 death of her husband Nikhil Khanna, primarily considering her serious spinal condition and more than two years and ten months of pre-trial incarceration. Police alleged that the couple had quarrelled over several issues, including the husband not taking her to Dubai for her birthday and not giving an expected anniversary gift. The Court noted that a physical altercation preceded the death and that the husband died after being pushed and falling on a heavy, sharp object. The bail order does not determine her guilt; the High Court expressly stated that its observations were prima facie and would not affect the trial.
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