By Admin 
The Supreme Court will consider whether dowry harassment law can be applied in live-in relationships or not. While hearing the petition of a doctor from Karnataka, the court considered this question important. The doctor says that he is not married to the complainant. Despite this, the Karnataka High Court refused to cancel the case of Section 498A (dowry harassment) filed by the woman.
The petition on which the Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotishwar Singh has started the hearing has been filed by cardiologist Lokesh BH and 3 members of his family, resident of Shivamogga, Karnataka. It has been told in the petition that the woman who has filed a dowry harassment case against him is not legally the doctor’s wife. To harass him, the woman has made others fear him as well.
SC issues notice to Law Ministry and Karnataka Government
Hearing the case, the Supreme Court said that the language of the dowry law clearly uses the words ‘husband’ and ‘wife’. In such a situation, it is important to decide whether a live-in relationship can also be considered equal to marriage. The court has issued notice to the Union Law Ministry and Karnataka Government in the matter. Also, lawyer Neena Nariman has been appointed as amicus curiae to assist in the case.
Next hearing will be held on March 9
The judges said that different High Courts have given different opinions regarding such cases. Some High Courts have held that if the live-in relationship is in the form of marriage and the woman has been assured of the seriousness of the relationship, then harassment law can apply. Whereas the second High Court has said that unless there is a legal marriage, Section 498A cannot be imposed. In such a situation, detailed legal explanation of this subject becomes necessary. Therefore, the Supreme Court will consider the matter. The next hearing of the case will be on March 9.