Madras High Court Reinstates Conviction in Landmark Domestic Cruelty Case After 18-Year Legal Battle

Chennai:

The Madras High Court's Madurai Bench has overturned an acquittal and reinstated the conviction of an 86-year-old man for inflicting mental and economic cruelty upon his wife. This significant ruling concludes a legal struggle spanning nearly 18 years through three judicial stages.

The matrimonial dispute originated in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district, involving a couple who married in 1965. The wife approached authorities in 2007 with allegations that her husband had systematically denied her adequate food and financial resources. She further claimed he forced her to cook separately, effectively isolating her within their home, prevented contact with her relatives, and subjected her to consistent humiliation. After thorough proceedings, the Judicial Magistrate Court in Paramakudi found the husband guilty in 2016, imposing a six-month simple imprisonment sentence and a Rs 5,000 fine.

The conviction was subsequently overturned in 2017 when the Additional District and Sessions Court (Fast Track Court) in Paramakudi acquitted the husband. The appellate court justified its decision citing insufficient corroborative evidence supporting the wife's allegations and noted an absence of evidence regarding dowry harassment or physical violence.

Justice L Victoria Gowri, presiding over the latest hearing at the Madurai Bench, delivered a judgment that nullified the acquittal and upheld the original trial court's verdict. Her ruling emphasized that cruelty under Section 498-A encompasses more than physical violence or dowry demands, extending to mental, emotional, and economic forms of abuse. The judge determined that the wife's testimony, coupled with evidence demonstrating prolonged neglect and humiliation, sufficiently established the cruelty charge. Justice Gowri specifically noted that domestic abuse typically occurs in private settings, making it unreasonable to expect independent eyewitness accounts.

The High Court has mandated that the husband serve the original six-month simple imprisonment sentence and pay the specified fine. Importantly, the acquittal of the couple's son and daughter-in-law remains unchanged, as does the dismissal of criminal intimidation charges under Section 506(ii) of the Indian Penal Code. Additionally, the court sustained a previous order under the Domestic Violence Act requiring the husband to provide monthly maintenance of Rs 20,000 to his wife.