Miffed at husband's love for cat, Bengaluru woman moves court; probe stayed

'It is such frivolous cases that have clogged the criminal justice system today and if the investigation is permitted in the case at hand it would add one more case to the already clogged justice system,' the Karnataka HC said.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed all further investigation against a man observing that the primary allegation of his wife is that he was taking more care of their pet cat.

The couple are from Bengaluru and the husband had challenged proceedings under IPC section 498A filed by his wife.

“The complaint is a narration of marriage and living together but the crux of the allegation is foundation upon the squabble regarding a pet cat that is in the house of the husband. The allegation is that the husband takes care of the cat more than the wife. Whenever the wife has pointed out this there is a dispute between the two and abuses are hurled. That is what is narrated in most of the paragraphs of the complaint. Therefore, the issue is not about the demand for dowry or assault on demand of dowry or cruelty meted out by the husband. The issue is with regards to the pet cat and the cat attacking or scratching the wife several times,” Justice M Nagaprasanna said.

The court noted the averments in the complaint and said that no ingredients necessary for an offence under IPC 498A are present in the case at hand, even in its remotest sense. “It is such frivolous cases that have clogged the criminal justice system today and if the investigation is permitted in the case at hand it would add one more case to the already clogged justice system,” the court further said.