Delhi High Court Rules on Extramarital Affair and Its Legal Implications

The Delhi High Court ruled that a man's extramarital affair does not constitute cruelty or abetment of suicide unless it directly led to harassment or torment of the wife. The man was granted bail despite being charged under various IPC sections following his wife's unnatural death. The court emphasized the lack of a direct connection between the affair and dowry-related harassment.

In a significant judicial decision, the Delhi High Court has ruled that an extramarital affair, by itself, does not constitute grounds for charges of cruelty or abetment of a spouse's suicide unless it is shown to have caused harassment or torment to the wife. This ruling comes in the case of a man previously held on charges following his wife's death.

Justice Sanjeev Narula noted that while the man was implicated based on his alleged affair, the legal precedent requires a direct nexus to actions constituting harassment or cruelty tied to dowry demands or sustained mental abuse to substantiate such charges. Consequently, the court granted him bail as his continued custody served no further legal purpose.

The woman's family had accused the husband of abusing and pressurizing her over financial matters related to dowry. However, the court observed a lack of contemporaneous complaints from the woman or her family, thus weakening the credibility of dowry-related harassment claims. The accused was released on bail with a personal bond.

(With inputs from agencies.)