NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday strongly criticized a man for forcibly evicting his estranged wife and minor daughters from their home, likening his actions to that of an animal. Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh slammed the man, questioning, “What kind of man are you if you don’t even care for your minor daughters? What wrong have they done in coming into this world?”
The bench expressed their outrage, saying, “He was only interested in having multiple children. We cannot allow such a cruel man to even enter our court. You worship Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Lakshmi all day, and then behave like this?”
The court, deeply disturbed by the details of the case, demanded that the man either pay maintenance or transfer agricultural land to his estranged wife and daughters before it considers passing any favorable orders. “What is the difference between an animal and a man who doesn’t take care of his minor daughters?” the bench remarked, according to news agency PTI.
The man, a resident of Jharkhand, was convicted in 2015 for torturing his wife over dowry demands, under Section 498A of the IPC. He was also accused of fraudulently having his wife’s uterus removed, abandoning her and their daughters, and marrying another woman.
The case, which was registered in 2009, led to his conviction and sentencing to 2.5 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of ₹5,000. He served 11 months in custody. However, in 2024, the Jharkhand High Court reduced his sentence to 1.5 years and increased the fine to ₹1 lakh.
The couple married in 2003, but the wife was reportedly tortured and thrown out after just four months due to a dowry demand of ₹50,000. Despite multiple panchayat meetings, the man refused to reconcile, and by June 2009, he allegedly remarried and expelled his wife and daughters from their home.
While the high court noted insufficient evidence regarding the removal of the wife’s uterus and the remarriage, the Supreme Court insisted that the man must provide for the upkeep of his wife and daughters. The court warned that the case would not progress until he complied with this directive. The hearing has been adjourned to February 14.
