Kerala High Court rules single grave act can constitute cruelty

The Kerala High Court has ruled that a single grave act can constitute cruelty under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, noting that a continuous series of acts is not strictly necessary to meet the statutory definition.

In a recent judgment, Justice Jobin Sebastian quashed criminal proceedings against six relatives of a husband due to vague and omnibus allegations that lacked specific overt acts. However, the court allowed the prosecution against the husband to proceed, as the allegations against him were specific and prima facie disclosed the ingredients of the alleged offences.