Laws are for the welfare of women, not for extorting money from husbands; Supreme Court's big decision

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Supreme Court on Thursday emphasized that stringent legal provisions meant for the welfare and empowerment of women should not be used to "punish, intimidate, dominate, or extort" their husbands. A bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Pankaj Mithal highlighted that Hindu marriage is a sacred institution forming the foundation of family life, not a commercial agreement. The apex court noted its repeated reprimands of the misuse of IPC sections related to matrimonial disputes, such as those addressing rape, cruelty, and criminal intimidation.

The court made these observations while granting a divorce to a couple married in July 2021, citing irretrievable breakdown of their relationship. Despite the dissolution of marriage, the husband, an IT consultant based in the U.S., was ordered to pay ₹12 crores as permanent alimony to his estranged wife. Notably, the wife had demanded ₹500 crores in alimony, citing the husband's prior settlement with his first wife. The bench pointed out the increasing trend of criminal complaints being used as bargaining tools in matrimonial disputes, undermining the true purpose of such laws.

Highlighting a concerning pattern, the bench criticized law enforcement and subordinate courts for selectively acting on complaints and denying bail, even to elderly or ailing relatives of accused husbands, based solely on the gravity of the allegations. The court urged women to use these legal provisions for protection and empowerment rather than weaponizing them, warning that misuse erodes the sanctity of both the laws and the institution of marriage.