Every harassment is not cruelty: HC

Every harassment does not amount to cruelty and there can be no straightjacket definition for the term 'cruelty' as it is a relative term, observed the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court while quashing a two-decade-old conviction of a man and his family on charges of cruelty and abetment to suicide.

- Urvi Mahaj

The court noted that the allegations that taunting the deceased, not allowing her to watch TV, making her sleep on a carpet and making her fetch water at 1-1.30 am, would not constitute physical and mental cruelty as the allegations pertained to the domestic affairs of the house of the accused.

The HC was hearing an appeal filed by the woman's husband, mother-in-law and brother-in-law challenging their conviction by the sessions court at Jalgaon. The father-in-law passed away pending appeal, hence the case against him abated.

On April 15, 2004, the sessions judge had convicted them on charges of cruelty and abetment to suicide. They were out on bail, pending hearing in the appeal.