Court quashes dom violence case against father-in-law

A Delhi court has quashed a domestic violence case lodged by a woman against her father-in -law, saying "the only sin" he committed was getting his son married, as the daughter-in-law had "dragged him" into litigation.

Additional Sessions Judge Lokesh Kumar Sharma said the woman had got him entangled in litigation as he failed to help her and his son sort out their differences.

"The only sin appears to have been committed by the man (father-in-law) was marrying his son with the woman and later, trying to pacify their tensions and grievances and when the situation could not be controlled by him, then giving up his efforts and letting the parties live in their own fashion, due to which, he faced wrath from daughter-in-law who had dragged him into this litigation," the judge said.
 

The court made the observation while allowing the plea of the man against a magisterial court order summoning him in the domestic violence case lodged by his daughter-in-law against him and his son.

According to the complaint, the woman got married in 2008 and moved out of her matrimonial home with her husband in 2014. After her relations with her husband strained, she lodged a complaint against him and his father for alleged emotional, verbal and economic abuse.

She had alleged that she was a victim of a conspiracy hatched by her husband and his father to throw her out of their farm house in Chhattarpur in South Delhi and made to shift to a rented accommodation.

The father-in-law, in his appeal, said that relations between his son and daughter-in-law were strained and he had tried to pacify them several times but gave up later to let them live separately.

The court, while relying on the father-in-law's version, said, "in our Indian culture and society, elders of the family always try to build up and strengthen the family bonds and not to break the same and with best of their ability, they try to pacify the situation, if any kind of matrimonial differences/ discord arises between a young couple in the family."

"Therefore, even if it is presumed that appellant was also trying to pacify the tensed situation prevailing between his son and daughter-in-law, then by any stretch of imagination, it could not have been said that he had committed any kind of violence or abuse qua respondent 1 (daughter-in- law)" it said.

The court also rejected the woman's claim that her family was made to purchase expensive gifts for her in-laws after her engagement, saying there was "no domestic relationship" at that time.

It termed as "vague and bald" the allegations of taunts and abuses hurled at the woman saying there were no specific instances.

It also rejected one of her claims that she was mentally harassed and forced to do what was expected of her by husband and in-laws.

"I have no hesitation in holding that in each and every family of Hindu society, it is the duty of elders of the family to apprise the younger generation about the social ethics, moral values, customs, culture and traditions. Thus, any such preaching of elders of the family, could not be construed as having caused any kind of abuse to younger members of the family," the judge said.