In a bizarre incident, the Karnataka High Court has temporarily halted the investigation by Bengaluru police into allegations of cruelty made by a woman against her US-based husband for allegedly not allowing her to eat French fries.
The wife, who was not identified, filed a complaint under Sections 498A and 504 of the IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act, which led cops to issue a lookout circular (LOC) against the man, hindering his ability to return to the United States for work, The Times of India reported.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, in his detailed order issued on Thursday, granted the husband's request to travel back to the US. He stayed the LOC until the next hearing on September 21 and permitted the husband to leave the country after reviewing his affidavit. In this affidavit, the husband assured his availability for future investigation.
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The wife's complaint claimed that after her childbirth, during which she experienced high blood pressure, her husband restricted her from eating French fries, rice, and meat, fearing she might gain weight. The husband countered the claim by stating that he was solely responsible for household chores and daily tasks while his wife spent much of her time watching television and making phone calls.
{{/usCountry}}The wife's complaint claimed that after her childbirth, during which she experienced high blood pressure, her husband restricted her from eating French fries, rice, and meat, fearing she might gain weight. The husband countered the claim by stating that he was solely responsible for household chores and daily tasks while his wife spent much of her time watching television and making phone calls.
{{/usCountry}}In his judgment, Justice Nagaprasanna noted that the complaint did not substantiate any elements of cruelty as defined under Section 498A of the IPC. He also emphasized that allowing the investigation to proceed would constitute an abuse of the legal process. Consequently, the judge directed the police to inform the Bureau of Immigration about the travel arrangement and ensure that the husband would not face any travel restrictions.
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"It is rather surprising how jurisdictional police have used the power for getting an LOC generated in the aforesaid trivial circumstances. It is not the use of power by police but misuse of power at the behest of the complainant. There is no crime worth the name of issuance of LOC. The only object of the complainant appears to be stopping the petitioner from travelling back to his employment in the US," Justice Nagaprasanna said, as quoted in the report.