Talking Sarcastically And Taunting By In-laws Is Part Of The Wear And Tear Of Married Life: Court

A sessions court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to a Malabar Hill couple who were accused of ill-treatment by their estranged daughter-in-law. The couple, aged 80 and 75, were allowed to get out on bail on grounds that “talking sarcastically and taunting by in-laws is part of the wear and tear of married life” that every family anticipates and foresees.

Moreover, the sessions court refused the complainant's arguments that her plea should be repudiated on the basis that her in-laws were on the list accumulated together by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists of people who had offshore entities. The sessions court observed, “There may be a probe pending under ICIJ, which has no concern while deciding the application.”

Also Read: Calcutta HC: If One Marries And Converts By Choice Courts Can’t Interfere

What You Should Know

• Malabar Hills elderly couple, aged 80 and 75, granted bail.
• A complaint was registered against them by their estranged daughter-in-law.
• The court termed women's allegations as "general in nature".

Terming the complaint as an independent crime, the sessions court pronounced, "It is not shown if any crime is registered against the applicants for alleged involvement. So at this juncture, there is no need to get impressed by the proceedings," The Times of India reported.

Special judge Madhuri A Baraliya said, "Talking sarcastically to... and taunting the daughter-in-law by the in-laws is the wear and tear of married life, which every family witnesses. For those allegations, the custody of the applicants who are old aged 80 years and 75 years respectively, is not required with the police."

The Sessions Court Verdict

The complainant, a 30-year-old woman, got married in 2018 to her Dubai-based school friend. She reportedly asserted in her complaint that it was only before a few days of their wedding that her family realised that her to-be husband was not the biological child of the Malabar Hills couple, but was the child of their domestic help. He was adopted and raised by her estranged in-laws.

While listing out things in support of her complaint, the woman allegedly claimed that her in-laws gifted her nothing at the wedding while her parents gave her gold and diamond jewellery worth 1.5 crores. Among other things, she alleged that she wasn't allowed to touch the refrigerator and was given stale food. Furthermore, she asserted that she was made to sleep in the living room. In addition to all these, she further added that she was not allowed to her mother's house.

The prosecution claimed that the in-laws are in possession of the woman's jewellery. For this argument, the defence said during the wedding both the families had borne the wedding expenses. On this, the court observed that as far as recovery of the woman's ornaments is concerned, the probe agency had already frozen their accounts.

Also Read: Long-Term Sexual Relationship On Pretext Of Marriage Not Rape: Delhi High Court