Context
In its recent judgment, the Supreme Court said that the laws such as section 498A of IPC are being used as instruments to settle personal scores.
What is Section 498A?
- Simply put, Section 498A of IPC is meant to prevent atrocities and harassment against a woman by her husband and her in-laws.
- Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deals with the violence done on women after her marriage by her husband or her in-laws or any relative of the husband.
- Punishment: It prescribes punishment for 3 years and a fine.
- Cruelty: It gave a new definition to cruelty. Cruelty can be defined as –
- If the act done is of such a nature that the woman is enticed to commit suicide or cause an injury to herself, which may prove fatal.
- This was added in the case of Shobha Rani v. Medhukar Reddy. It was held in the case that evidence is required to prove cruelty.
- If the act done is to harass women or any other person related to her to meet unlawful demands.
