The Delhi High Court has emphasized the broad scope of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which addresses cruelty against women, stating that requiring hospitalization to invoke this provision would undermine its fundamental intent. This clarification came during the dismissal of a plea for anticipatory bail by a man accused by his estranged wife of cruelty and dowry demands.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, in her ruling, highlighted that cruelty encompasses not only physical but also mental, emotional, and financial abuse. She noted that making hospitalisation a condition for alleging cruelty would unjustly limit justice, effectively ignoring the less visible but equally harmful forms of abuse many women suffer in silence.
The husband had argued that their marital discord represented normal “wear-and-tear” and pointed out that his wife had not been hospitalized. Dismissing this claim, the court criticized the argument as “unmerited” and warned that such a restrictive interpretation of cruelty could perpetuate abuse cycles by silencing victims.
“Allowing the argument that hospitalisation is required to invoke Section 498A would fundamentally erode the purpose of this provision,” Justice Sharma stated on January 14. She continued, explaining that the law was specifically crafted to protect women from all forms of cruelty, not merely those resulting in physical injuries requiring medical attention.
The court further elaborated on the dangers of adopting such a constrained view, which would deny justice to countless women enduring hidden abuses, leaving them trapped in distressing circumstances without recourse.