Mahendra Prasad Mehta vs The State Of Bihar

The Supreme Court referred the question of jurisdiction under Section 498A IPC for consideration by a larger bench, noting a division in opinions regarding whether a woman can initiate proceedings in the jurisdiction of her parental home after leaving her matrimonial home due to cruelty. The court highlighted conflicting views from previous judgments, particularly regarding the necessity of ongoing acts of cruelty at the parental home for jurisdiction to be established. The reference was made to resolve the ambiguity in the application of Section 498A IPC and related provisions of the Cr.P.C.