In a stern rebuke, the Supreme Court of India on Friday criticized a Jharkhand man for evicting his estranged wife and minor daughters from their matrimonial home, questioning the morality of his actions. The court, presided over by Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, chastised the man’s lack of compassion and parental duty, emphasizing the gravity of his misconduct by comparing it to animalistic behavior.
“What kind of a man you are if you don’t even care for your minor daughters? What wrong have the minor daughters done in coming to this world?” the justices queried, visibly irked by the man’s indifference to his family’s welfare. They expressed disdain for his superficial religiosity, noting his daily religious observances to Goddesses Saraswati and Lakshmi while neglecting his daughters and wife at home. “We cannot allow such a cruel man to enter our court at all,” they stated.
The apex court demanded that the man provide financial security for his family by either parting with some of his agricultural land or setting up a fixed deposit or maintenance amount in the name of his daughters and estranged wife. The court deferred making a favorable decision until these conditions were met, emphasizing the need for him to demonstrate tangible support for his family.
This legal confrontation stems from a 2009 case where the man was convicted by a trial court under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code for subjecting his wife to cruelty and harassing her for dowry. He was initially sentenced to 2.5 years in rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000. This was later adjusted by the Jharkhand High Court in 2024, which reduced his sentence to 1.5 years but increased the fine to Rs 1 lakh.
The case details a disturbing pattern of abuse, including allegations that he fraudulently had his wife’s uterus removed and subsequently remarried. While the high court found no medical evidence to support the claim of surgery or proof of a second marriage, the narrative of domestic torment and dowry demands was upheld.
