Rajesh Chaddha vs State Of Uttar Pradesh 2025 INSC 671 - S. 498A - Dowry Prohibition Act
Indian Penal Code 1860 - Section 498A ; Dowry Prohibition Act - Sections 3,4- In order to meet the threshold of the offences under Section 498A IPC & Sections 3 & 4 of the D.P. Act, 1961, the allegations cannot be ambiguous or made in thin air (Para 8)- A cursory or plausible view cannot be conclusive proof to determine the guilt of an individual under Section 498A & Section 4 of the D.P. Act (Para 11)- The term “cruelty” is subject to rather cruel misuse by the parties, and cannot be established simpliciter without specific instances, to say the least. The tendency of roping these sections, without mentioning any specific dates, time or incident, weakens the case of the prosecutions, and casts serious suspicion on the viability of the version of a Complainant (Para 14)- Growing tendency to append every relative of the husband, casts serious doubt on the veracity of the allegations made by the Complainant wife or her family members, and vitiates the very objective of a protective legislation. (Para 13)
