The Bombay High Court has ruled that a father-in-law refusing to intervene in a marital dispute and a brother-in-law advising a wife to tolerate her husband’s conduct do not amount to cruelty under Section 498A IPC. The Court quashed the FIR, warning against misuse of criminal law to harass relatives in matrimonial disputes.
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court held that a woman’s father-in-law refusing to listen to her complaint about her husband’s extra-marital affair and a brother-in-law advising her to tolerate her husband’s beating does not amount to cruelty under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code.
A Division Bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Shyam C. Chandak passed this ruling while quashing an FIR registered by the Pune Police against a father-in-law and his younger son, based on a complaint filed by their daughter-in-law.
In its judgment dated December 9, 2025, the Court examined the allegations made by the complainant in her FIR. She alleged that her father-in-law and brother-in-law had “polluted” her husband’s mind, because of which he would frequently beat and torture her. She further stated that when she came to know about her husband’s extra-marital affair and raised the issue before her father-in-law, he refused to listen to her and instead told her that “she must have been harassing the husband” and also expressed dissatisfaction over insufficient dowry.
Regarding the role of the brother-in-law, the complainant alleged that he taunted her and told her to tolerate her husband’s beating. After examining these allegations in light of Section 498A IPC, the Court made it clear that such statements do not meet the legal definition of cruelty under the provision.
“As regards the Petitioner–brother-in-law, it is alleged that he taunted her to tolerate her husband’s beating. When these allegations are considered apposite Section 498A of the IPC, they do not constitute ‘cruelty’ as defined in the explanation appended to the provision”
-the Bench held.
Justice Chandak, who authored the judgment, strongly highlighted the serious consequences of criminal prosecution in matrimonial disputes, especially when relatives of the husband are unnecessarily dragged into litigation. The Court underlined the need to protect the reputation and dignity of such relatives.
“An unfounded criminal charges and long drawn criminal prosecution always have serious consequences. A person implicated in such litigation not only suffers mental trauma and humiliation but also suffers a financial loss.
It is common experience that reckless imputations can result in serious repercussion on one’s career progression and future pursuits. Additionally, it stigmatizes reputation, bring disrepute and lower the image of a person amongst friends, family and colleagues. As such, in such cases, it is necessary to invoke the jurisdiction of the High Court under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and Article 226 of the Constitution to protect the character and reputation of the relatives who have been unnecessarily implicated in the case of Section 498A IPC”
-the judgment observed.
The Bench further noted that the FIR in the present case appeared to have been filed primarily due to a personal dispute between the wife and her husband, and not because of any specific acts of cruelty by the relatives.
“However, the Petitioners being the relatives of the husband, she implicated them in the FIR with an ulterior motive. Therefore, continuation of the FIR and the consequent charge-sheet against the Petitioners would amount to an abuse of the process of law”
-the Court stated.
In view of these findings, the Bombay High Court quashed the FIR and the consequent charge-sheet against the father-in-law and brother-in-law, reiterating that Section 498A IPC cannot be used mechanically to prosecute every relative of the husband without specific and legally sustainable allegations.
Explanatory Table: Laws And Sections Involved
| Law / Statute | Section | Explanation |
| Indian Penal Code, 1860 | Section 498A | Deals with cruelty by husband or his relatives against a married woman. Cruelty must be serious in nature, such as harassment linked to dowry demands or conduct likely to drive a woman to suicide or cause grave injury. The Court held that mere taunts or refusal to intervene do not automatically amount to cruelty. |
| Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 | Section 85 | Relates to criminal intimidation or conduct causing harm. Mentioned as part of the FIR but not found applicable against the in-laws on facts. |
| Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 | Section 351(2) | Pertains to acts causing criminal force or assault under the new penal law framework. |
| Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 | Section 115(2) | Deals with punishment for voluntarily causing hurt under aggravated circumstances. |
| Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 | Section 3(5) | Defines joint liability where several persons act with common intention. |
| Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 | Section 352 | Punishment provision for assault or use of criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation. |
| Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 | Section 528 | Gives High Courts power to prevent abuse of process of law and secure ends of justice, similar to earlier Section 482 CrPC. Invoked by the Court to protect innocent relatives. |
| Constitution of India | Article 226 | Empowers High Courts to issue writs to protect legal and fundamental rights and to correct misuse of legal process. |
Case Summary
- Case Title: Amrik Singh Saini vs State of Maharashtra & Anr. WITH Amit Saini vs State of Maharashtra & Anr.
- Court: Bombay High Court
- Jurisdiction: Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction
- Writ Petition Numbers: Writ Petition No. 4833 of 2024 & Writ Petition No. 724 of 2025
- Date of Judgment: 9 December 2025
- Bench (Coram): Justice Bharati Dangre & Justice Shyam C. Chandak
- Counsels:
- For the Petitioners: Mr. Pritish Chatterjee with Mr. Nitish Banka
- For the State: Ms. Supriya Kak, APP
- For Respondent No. 2 (Complainant): Ms. Radhika Mundada
- Investigating Officer Present: Mr. S. S. Chavan, API, Sinhgad Police Station
- Police Station: Sinhgad Road Police Station, Pune
- FIR Details: FIR No. 533 of 2024 (Date of FIR – 29 September 2024)
- Outcome: FIR and consequential charge-sheet quashed and set aside qua the petitioners.
- Neutral Citation: 2025:BHC-AS:55713-DB
Key Takeaways
- Section 498A IPC is not a blank cheque to prosecute every relative of the husband without specific, serious, and legally defined acts of cruelty.
- Silence, non-intervention, or even misguided advice by in-laws does not automatically translate into criminal liability.
- Courts must actively protect the reputation, dignity, and liberty of aged parents and siblings falsely dragged into matrimonial FIRs.
- Personal disputes between spouses cannot be converted into criminal cases against the husband’s family as a pressure tactic.
- High Courts are duty-bound to quash such FIRs early to prevent mental harassment, financial ruin, and irreversible social damage to innocent men and their families.
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