Offence of Cruelty under Section 498A IPC Attracted Even in Live-In Relationships and in Void or Voidable Marriages: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has delivered a significant ruling clarifying that Section 498A IPC applies even when a marriage is void, voidable, or when the relationship is merely a relationship in the nature of marriage, such as a live-in partnership. The Court held that if the ingredients of cruelty under Section 498A are satisfied, the woman cannot be left without protection simply because the marriage lacks legal validity. Background Of…