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
3/6

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
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ignoredwhileunderstandingthemeaningof

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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crueltyatsuchplace.

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