Plea against daughter-in-law's plaint rejected in HC

The Bombay High Court, while rejecting a petition filed by five family members seeking to quash a case registered against them by their daughter-in-law on charges of harassment and voluntarily causing hurt, observed recently that in-laws need not stay under the same roof as a woman to harass her.

A division bench of justices SC Dharmadhikari and Prakash Naik said, "In today's modern times, harassment by in-laws could take on many forms. Sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law do not have to necessarily live under the same roof to harass a woman."

The woman's in-laws also said the complainant lodged a police complaint to involve the family members deliberately. There is no specific act attributed to each of them. Moreover, the husband and complainant reside in Nashik, while the other accused reside in Ahmednagar. It is, therefore, a mala fide act to include all family members.

The court, after going through the facts of the case and the charge sheet filed, held that the accused cannot dictate terms as to where they should face investigation. The court also upheld that the family's physical presence may or may not be a relevant factor in the case.

The bench, while rejecting the application for quashing the case and charge sheet, said "There are remedies available and each one of them can seek a discharge from the case. However, their contention, as raised before us, has no merit."