Supreme Court quashes FIR, says calling wife 'stupid' is not cruelty

The Supreme Court examined whether the allegations of cruelty and dowry demands were sufficient to sustain criminal proceedings.

Who it concerns: Petitioner/Appellant: Piyush (son of Deepak Narlawar); Respondents: State of Maharashtra and the wife's father (Respondent No. 2); Bench: Justice Nagarathna.

What the court decided

• The Supreme Court granted leave to appeal.
• The Court quashed the FIR No. 212/2023 and all consequential proceedings against the appellant.
• The Court held that calling the wife 'stupid' and 'useless' cannot by itself amount to cruelty under the law.
• The Court relied on the Canadian Coroner's report and Toronto Police Department's closure report, which found no signs of foul play, struggle, or drug/alcohol use, and confirmed the suicide note's handwriting.
• The Court noted that the High Court had already quashed proceedings against the appellant's other family members (Respondents 3 to 5).

Also in the document

• The judgment is marked as 'NON-REPORTABLE'.
• The Court noted that the appellant was not present at the scene of the incident, as confirmed by CCTV footage and police reports.
• The Court observed that the suicide note indicated the deceased was stressed due to employment and studies, with no reasonable nexus to the appellant.