Netflix-featured wedding ends in court as wife files cruelty case
What's the story
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has quashed a cruelty case filed by a woman against her former husband's uncle, Sumesh Chadha.
The court observed that the woman, Prerna Gupta, had filed this case to pressurize her in-laws into giving her jewelry and other items.
Justice Rajnesh Oswal noted that pursuing the investigation would be an abuse of the legal process under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Legal abuse
Court's ruling on the case
The court stated, "It is evident that the petitioner has been arrayed as accused only to pressurize him to persuade his sister, nephew and brother-in-law to hand over the jewelry/articles to the complainant/respondent."
"This is also admitted fact that marriage between the respondent and her husband Kunwar Sood stands already dissolved."
To continue the investigation against the petitioner will be nothing but an abuse of process of law, the court reasoned.
Divorce drama
Background of the case
The case is related to the divorce of Prerna and her former husband, Kunwar Sood, who featured on the Netflix documentary series on Indian weddings "The Big Day."
Per Bar and Bench, Sumesh, Kunwar's maternal uncle, had attempted mediation in their issue before it ended in divorce.
But Prerna accused Sumesh of instigating her in-laws into cruelty and dowry demands. She then filed a criminal complaint against him in 2024.
Legal proceedings
Chadha's defense and court's decision
In his defense, Sumesh said that no allegations were made against him in the divorce proceedings.
His lawyer argued that even if the allegations were true, they wouldn't amount to offenses under IPC Sections 498A (cruelty) and 420 (cheating).
He also said that the Supreme Court has repeatedly warned against implicating close relatives of husbands in cruelty cases without justification.
The HC eventually agreed to dismiss the criminal case against Sumesh.