Indian High Courts Reject Divorce Petition and Relatives’ Liability in Bigamy Case

The Andhra Pradesh High Court ruled that the mere presence of family elders at a second marriage does not establish abetment or common intention to commit bigamy under Section 494 IPC, emphasizing that the prosecution must prove intentional participation and knowledge of the existing first marriage.

Separately, a two‑judge panel of the Telangana High Court upheld a Family Court order refusing a woman’s divorce petition, finding that her allegations of cruelty, extra‑marital affairs and dowry harassment were unsupported by independent evidence and did not meet the statutory requirement for cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act. The court also rejected a claim that the marriage was void on grounds of minority, noting that such a plea had not been raised earlier.