Dowry Demand Not Essential to Prove Cruelty Under Section 498A IPC : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled that cruelty under Section 498A IPC is not limited to dowry demands. Cruelty includes physical or mental harm and harassment for unlawful demands.

In this case, the wife accused her husband and mother-in-law of beating her. The High Court dismissed the case, citing no dowry demand, but the Supreme Court reinstated it, stating that physical violence alone is cruelty. 

The Court relied on U. Suvetha v. State, which clarified that a married woman can file a case if subjected to cruelty by her husband or his relatives. Section 498A protects women from all forms of cruelty.