Mere Knowledge of Second Marriage Insufficient to Implicate Relatives in Bigamy Offence: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India on 24 April 2026 delivered a crucial judgment clarifying the scope of Section 494 IPC relating to bigamy and Section 498A IPC concerning cruelty. The Court held that relatives of a husband cannot be held liable for bigamy merely on the basis of knowledge of a second marriage unless there is clear proof of active involvement. Background of the Case The case arose from an…