Asking Daughter-in-Law to Wash Clothes, Utensils Not Cruelty. Bombay HC Quashes FIR Under Section 498A

The Kolhapur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday quashed a First Information Report against six relatives of a woman’s husband, holding that asking a daughter-in-law to wash clothes and utensils does not amount to cruelty under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code.

The complainant had filed the FIR in 2025 naming her husband’s parents, sisters and a brother. She stated that her husband took her to a house in the Kalyan-Badlapur area and that she stayed at a sister’s house, where she washed clothes and utensils. She did not specify the time, date, place or manner of the alleged harassment. She also accused the relatives of instigating her husband to quarrel with her because she could not conceive, and said she had health issues that led to divorce.

Justice A.J. Mantri observed that the FIR did not attribute specific roles to the petitioners. The allegations were general and made against all of them collectively. The woman lived in Pune with her husband, while the relatives resided in Satara, Abu Dhabi, Ulhasnagar and Ambernath. She visited Satara only occasionally and stayed once at the Badlapur house of her husband’s sister. Since she was not living with the petitioners, the court held that the question of cruelty did not arise.

Finding that neither the FIR nor the charge sheet disclosed an offence under Section 498A, the Bench quashed the FIR.