HC rubbishes wife’s plaint that husband cares more for pet

Bengaluru: Citing abuse of the due process of law, Karnataka high court on Thursday stayed all further investigations into a cruelty case filed against a husband and his family members by his wife that claimed that the husband was more caring towards the family's pet cat than his wife.
In his order, Justice M Nagaprasanna pointed out that there was no cruelty charge in the complaint and that the complaint filed by the wife "is an abuse of of law".
Justice Nagaprasanna observed: "The wife has pointed out that whenever there is a dispute between the couple, abuses are hurled at her. The issue, therefore, is not regarding demand of dowry or assault or cruelty meted out by the husband."
The judge further ruled that none of the ingredients that are necessary for an offence to become punishable under Section 498A is present in the case on hand – not even in its remotest context.
"It is such frivolous cases that have clogged the criminal justice system today and if an investigation is allowed, it would add one more case to the already clogged justice system," Justice Nagaprasanna said, while issuing interim protection of stay vis-a-vis the investigation and ordering issuance of a notice to the complainant-wife.