Kicking daughter in law or threatening divorce is not punishable offence: SC

Supreme Court has come out with interesting judgment on household fights.  It was talking about what is cruelty and what isn’t.  According to India’s hightest court, the following actions cannot be called cruelty:

If the daughter in law is kicked by mother-in-law or other family members
DIL is threatened with divorce

Also,

if a mother-in-law gives constant sermons to the daughter-in-law or allegedly treated her shabbily by giving her used dress suits, it does not invite prosecution under Section 498A of the IPC

If however the Mother in law takes away the gifts given to them at the time of marriage, that amounts to “Breach of Trust” under Section 406 of IPC.

Court was listening to a matrimonial dispute of an NRI.  It came out with this verdict:

“Allegations that appellant No 2 (mother-in-law) kicked the respondent (daughter-in-law) with her leg and told her that her mother is a liar may make out some other offences but not the one punishable under Section 498A.  Similarly her allegations that the appellant No 2 poisoned the ears of her son against the respondent; she gave two used lady suits of her daughter to the complainant (daughter-in-law) and has been giving perpetual sermons to the complainant could not be said to be offences punishable under Section 498 A”

Do you think that SC is wrong this time?

Reference Links:

Kicking daughter-in-law or divorce threat not cruelty: SC

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