Searched for Indian Penal Code (IPC) 498A case related information and landed here? Not a mistake.
As someone at receiving end of a false IPC 498A case, I can understand pretty clearly your situation, intent and instinctive reaction to fight back (albeit initial shocking moments).
Section 498A was introduced by legislature with a noble intent, but like (at last count, 49 such gender-biased laws) many women-oriented laws is ruthlessly misused, left-right-center.
Consequences of misuse?
1. Innocents implicated include bed-ridden elders & minor kids in husband’s home were arrested at old and late hours of night and cunningly enough on a Friday evening. You get the point? Think.
2. Totally unrelated people are implicated, just for the heck of it, along with family members who have never lived with the Knife.
3. Thousands (‘000s) opted for suicides, due to the harassment, shame and loss of dignity and respect caused by these baseless cases.
4. NCRB statistics vividly state there things
- 90,000 men succumb to suicides
- Most number of cases under any IPC section where Conviction rate is paltry .
The text from the section 498A of IPC is given below:
498A. Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty.
—Whoever, being the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.
Explanation. —For the purpose of this section, “cruelty” means—
(a) any wilful conduct which is of such a nature as is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or to cause grave injury or danger to life, limb or health (whether mental or physical) of the woman; or(b) harassment of the woman where such harassment is with a view to coercing her or any person related to her to meet any unlawful demand for any property or valuable security or is on account of failure by her or any person related to her to meet such demand.