The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday questioned a woman’s claim that she was subjected to marital cruelty by her husband and in-laws, on finding that her allegations of cruelty included being asked to prepare dosas and ragi balls (ragi mudde).

Justice M Nagaprasanna questioned whether such allegations could amount to the offence of cruelty to married women under Section 498A IPC.

“Your hair loss, asking you to prepare dosa, asking you to prepare ragi ball, not giving you nutritious food – will that amount to harassment on demand of dowry or cruelty under Section 498A? … Mother-in-law asking you to make ragi ball for the husband is wrong? Hair loss is Section 498A?” he remarked.

The judge also referred to another allegation that the husband had compelled the wife to change her shampoo.

“‘He forced me to change my shampoo from Meera to Dove.’ What is this? All this nitty-gritty cannot become cruelty,” the Court remarked after reading the complaint.




Justice Nagaprasanna observed that such allegations may constitute grounds in divorce proceedings but not necessarily criminal offences.

According to her, she stayed in the matrimonial home for about five-and-a-half months before leaving due to the alleged cruelty.

She further alleged that her mother-in-law prevented her from entering the kitchen, that her salary was handed over to her husband, leaving her with no money of her own. She claimed that her mother-in-law would make her husband sleep separately.

Appearing for her husband, Advocate Manish Rao clarified that the proceedings against the husband had already been withdrawn and that the present petition concerned only the husband’s relatives, including his mother, two uncles and a friend.

After hearing the parties at length, the Court reserved its judgment.