New Delhi, April 9: The Supreme court on Tuesday ruled that a woman, who is driven out of her matrimonial home because of cruelty, can file a case against her estranged husband and in-laws at the place of her shelter or place of her parents where she resides. The top court said that the woman who is forced to leave her in-laws home is allowed to initiate criminal proceedings under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Abuse of Anti-Dowry Law 498A: Supreme Court Modifies Previous Order; Strikes Down Need for Separate Committee.

This Supreme Court judgement settled a long-debated issue regarding the place of filing a case under section 498A. Previously, the criminal proceedings could only be initiated by the complainant from the place where the offence took place.

What is Section 498A in The Indian Penal Code?

Section 498A states that "Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty. Whoever, being the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be sentenced with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine."

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said that a woman, who is forcefully driven out of her matrimonial house, has liberty to lodge a complaint under section 498A and initiate proceeding from the place where she sought shelter.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2019 12:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).