The Supreme Court of India has quashed a dowry death and cruelty case against a husband whose wife died by suicide in Toronto, Canada, observing that calling one’s wife โstupidโ and โuselessโ, even if true, cannot by itself constitute an offence of cruelty or criminal intimidation.
A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Manmohan set aside the Bombay High Court’s order refusing to quash the proceedings against the husband.
The couple had married in January 2021 and moved to Toronto in February 2022. In June 2023, the woman died after jumping from the 22nd floor of their residential apartment.
Following her death, her father filed a complaint alleging dowry demands and physical and mental harassment by the husband and his family.
However, the Supreme Court found that the allegations of dowry demands and harassment were vague and unsupported by sufficient evidence.
The bench also noted that the woman’s suicide note referred to her struggles with studies and inability to find employment but did not mention any harassment or dowry demands by her husband or in-laws.
The court observed that a spouse’s short temper or verbal remarks cannot automatically be given a criminal colour without specific evidence of cruelty or harassment.
It further emphasised that general allegations without details of specific incidents are insufficient to continue criminal proceedings.
The Supreme Court consequently quashed the FIR and all consequential proceedings against the husband, holding that continuing the prosecution in the absence of sufficient evidence would amount to an abuse of the process of law.
