Even the Courts at the place where the wife resides after leaving the matrimonial home will have jurisdiction to entertain her complaint under Section 498 A of the Indian Penal Code, the Supreme Court has reiterated.
The bench comprising Justice L. Nageswara Rao and Justice Hemant Gupta noted that in Rupali Devi versus State of Uttar Pradesh (2019 (5) SCC 384), a judgment which was delivered last year, it was held that it is not necessary that a complaint should be filed only at the place of the matrimonial home. The courts at the place where the wife takes shelter after leaving or driven away from the matrimonial home on account of acts of cruelty committed by the husband or his relatives, would, dependent on the factual situation, also have jurisdiction to entertain a complaint alleging commission of offences under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, it was held in the said judgment.
