Aluri Venkata Ramana vs Aluri Thirupathi Rao - S 498A IPC - Dowry Not Pre-Requisite For Cruelty

Indian Penal Code 1860 - Section 498A : BNS 2023 - Section 86 -An unlawful demand for dowry is not a pre- requisite element to constitute "cruelty" under Section 498A IPC - The absence of an explicit dowry demand does not negate the applicability of the provision where acts of physical violence and mental distress have been demonstrated. The core of the offence under Section 498A IPC lies in the act of cruelty and does not purely revolve around the demand for dowry - Section 498A IPC recognizes two distinct forms of cruelty: one involving physical or mental harm in clause (a) and the other involving harassment linked to unlawful demands for property or valuable security in clause (b). These two provisions are to be read disjunctively. (Para 13-17)