INTHEHIGHCOURTOFJUDICATUREATPATNA
CRIMINALMISCELLANEOUSNo.7379of2015
ArisingOutofPS.CaseNo.-4Year-2014Thana-HAYAGHATDistrict-Darbhanga
Md.IqbalNasirSonofLateNoorunNabiResidentofRahuaRampur,P.S.
Warisnagar,District-Samastipur,presentlyatR/o129A,R-ExtensionMohan
Garden,UttamNagar,NewDelhi110059
……Petitioner/s
Versus
1.TheStateOfBihar
2.RizwanKhatoonW/oMd.IqbalNasir,D/oMd.RehmatullahResidentof
RasulpurBhoya,P.S.Hayaghat,District-Darbhanga,presentlyatRizwana
Khatoon,W/oMd.IqbalNasir,D/oMd.Rehmatullah,R/oN.K.Darranga,
P.O.DarrangaMela,District-Welbani,Assam-781360
……OppositeParty/s
Appearance:
ForthePetitioner/s:Mr.PankajKumarDas,Advocate
FortheOppositeParty/s:Mr.JharkhandiUpadhyay,APP
CORAM:HONOURABLEMR.JUSTICEBIRENDRAKUMAR
ORALJUDGMENT
Date:27-06-2019
Heardlearnedcounselfortheparties.
2.ThepetitionerishusbandofOppositePartyNo.2
andisaccusedforoffenceunderSection498Aandother
ancillaryoffencesSectionofthePenalCodeaswellasoffenceunder
Section¾oftheSectionDowryProhibitionActinconnectionwith
HayaghatP.S.CaseNo.4of2014broughtbyOppositeParty
No.2.
3.Thepetitionerhaschallengedtheorderof
cognizancedated02.12.2014passedbyJudicialMagistrate,1st
Class,Darbhanga,intheaforesaidcaseonthebasisofthe
PatnaHighCourtCR.MISC.No.7379of2015dt.27-06-2019
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policereport.
4.Theonlygroundofchallengeisthataperusalof
theFIRwouldrevealthatentireoccurrenceofdemandofdowry
andtortureallegedlytookplaceatDelhiandnopartof
occurrencetookplacewithinthejurisdictionoftheCourtat
Darbhanga.Therefore,theimpugnedordersuffersfromlackof
territorialjurisdiction.Contentionisthatthoughpaternalhouse
ofOppositePartyNo.2iswithintheterritorialjurisdictionof
DarbhangaCourt,however,sheactuallyresidesalongwithher
fatheratTarrangaMela,WelbaniinthestateofAssam.
5.TheFIRclearlyrevealsthatwhentheinformant
reportedthemattertoherfatherregardingdemandofdowryand
tortureforthesame,thefathervisitedatDelhiandtheaccused
personsaskedforRs.1,25,000/-andonlythenshewouldbe
allowedtolivethere.Theyfurtherexpelledtheinformantfrom
thehousethoughtheinformantwaspregnantatthattime.Again
fatheroftheinformanttookstepforconciliationthroughwell
wishersbutconciliationfailed.
6.Thepetitionerhasstatedthathehasalreadyfiled
acaseofdivorceagainstOppositePartyNo.2inaDelhiCourt.
7.AnidenticalissuewastherebeforetheHon’ble
SupremeCourtinRupaliDeviVs.TheStateofUttarPradesh
PatnaHighCourtCR.MISC.No.7379of2015dt.27-06-2019
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reportedin2019(2)PLJRSC255andtheHon’bleSupreme
Courtheldthatevenwherenoovertactofcrueltyorharassment
isallegedtohavebeencommittedbythehusbandatpaternal
homewherewifehadtakenshelter,theCourtattheparents
househasjurisdictiontoentertainthecomplaintunderSection
498AoftheIndianPenalCode,inparagraphs14and16ofthe
judgmenttheSupremeCourtheldasfollows:
“14.”Cruelty”whichisthe
cruxoftheoffenceunderSection498AIPC
isdefinedinBlack’sLawDictionarytomean
“Theintentionalandmaliciousinflictionof
mentalorphysicalsufferingonaliving
creature,esp.ahuman;abusivetreatment;
outrage(Abuse,inhumantreatment,
indignity)”.Crueltycanbebothphysicalor
mentalcruelty.Theimpactonthemental
healthofthewifebyovertactsonthepartof
thehusbandorhisrelatives;themental
stressandtraumaofbeingdrivenawayfrom
thematrimonialhomeandherhelplessness
togobacktothesamehomeforfearof
beingilltreatedareaspectsthatcannotbe
PatnaHighCourtCR.MISC.No.7379of2015dt.27-06-2019
4/6ignoredwhileunderstandingthemeaningof
theexpression”cruelty”appearingin
Section498AoftheIndianPenalCode.The
emotionaldistressorpsychologicaleffecton
thewife,ifnotthephysicalinjury,isbound
tocontinuetotraumatizethewifeevenafter
sheleavesthematrimonialhomeandtakes
shelterattheparentalhome.Eveniftheacts
ofphysicalcrueltycommittedinthe
matrimonialhousemayhaveceasedand
suchactsdonotoccurattheparentalhome,
therecanbenodoubtthatthementaltrauma
andthepsychologicaldistresscausedbythe
actsofthehusbandincludingverbal
exchanges,ifany,thathadcompelledthe
wifetoleavethematrimonialhomeandtake
shelterwithherparentswouldcontinueto
persistattheparentalhome.Mentalcruelty
borneoutofphysicalcrueltyorabusiveand
humiliatingverbalexchangeswould
continueintheparentalhomeeventhough
theremaynotbeanyovertactofphysical
PatnaHighCourtCR.MISC.No.7379of2015dt.27-06-2019
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16.We,therefore,holdthatthe
courtsattheplacewherethewifetakes
shelterafterleavingordrivenawayfromthe
matrimonialhomeonaccountofactsof
crueltycommittedbythehusbandorhis
relatives,would,dependentonthefactual
situation,alsohavejurisdictiontoentertain
acomplaintallegingcommissionofoffences
underSection498AoftheIndianPenal
Code”
8.Inviewofthesettledpropositionaforesaid,there
isnomeritintheprayerofthepetitionerthatimpugnedorder
suffersfromlackofterritorialjurisdictionfortheapparent
reasonthatthereismaterialontherecordtosubstantiatethat
tortureinthematrimonialhousecompelledtheinformantto
leavethehouse;rathershewasallegedlyexpelledfromthe
houseandwherevershewasresidingshewassufferingmental
tortureduetothephysicaltorturecommittedbythein-laws
includingthepetitioner.Thereisnodisputethatthecomplainant
haspermanentplaceofabodeintheterritorialjurisdictionof
theDarbhangaCourt.
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9.Hence,thisapplicationstandsdismissed.
(BirendraKumar,J)
Mkr./-
AFR/NAFRNAFR
CAVDATENA
UploadingDate02.07.2019
TransmissionDate02.07.2019