Sunita Jha vs State Of Jharkhand & Anr

The Supreme Court held that under Section 498A IPC, only the husband or a relative of the husband can be charged with cruelty against a woman. The Court found that the High Court erred in deeming the Appellant a family member of the husband solely based on cohabitation, as the Appellant was not a relative of the husband. Consequently, the Court allowed the appeal and set aside the orders of the lower courts, discharging the Appellant from the case.