The Bombay High Court has ruled that prohibiting a child from meeting his mother constitutes “cruelty” under the Indian Penal Code. As a result, the court refused to nullify a First Information Report filed against the in-laws of a woman in Jalna, Maharashtra.
A bench comprising Justices Vibha Kankanwadi and Rohit Joshi in Aurangabad cited lack of compliance with a lower court's custody directive as the basis for its decision. The court emphasized the psychological damage caused to the mother by the separation from her young daughter.
The Supreme Court found that the in-laws' actions met the definition of 'cruelty' under Section 498-A of the IPC and declined to intervene in the FIR case. Despite allegations of harassment and intimidation by the complainant, the in-laws maintained in their appeal that they were falsely accused.
(With contributions from agencies.)
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