K’taka HC: Faulting wife over chores not ill-treatment

Scolding a wife for not doing household work properly, talking to strangers
or objecting to sale of household property is not ill-treatment under
Section 498(A) of the Indian Penal Code, according to the high court.
Acquitting G R Lokanath and others convicted under 498(A) by the city
fast-track court for Saritha’s death, Justice Arali Nagaraj on Monday
observed that since the alleged illtreatment was not in connection with any
unlawful demand (dowry), it cannot be categorized under S. 498(A).
Counsel C N Raju told the court the allegations against the petitioners
are not traceable under S. 498(A). Saritha, who had been married to
Lokanath, met with a homicidal death on March 10, 2007. Her mother Siddamma
filed a complaint against the relatives of her son-in-law that they had
scolded her daughter for not doing household work, etc. Cases were booked
against Lokanath and relatives under Sections 302 of the IPC (murder) and
498(A). The trial court acquitted all the accused of the murder charge, but
convicted them under 498(A).

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