India, Aug. 15 -- LUCKNOW The Allahabad high court has held that a man calling his wife a "barren woman" during a quarrel over childlessness and exchange of abuses between them would not constitute cruelty under IPC Section 498-A.

Justice Indrajeet Shukla passed the order on August 13 on the petition filed by the husband challenging a Lucknow court order that had summoned him on a complaint alleging cruelty, dowry demand and intentional insult.

Criminal proceedings were quashed against him under Sections 498-A (cruelty by husband or relatives), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and Sections 3/4 (giving or taking dowry and demanding dowry) of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

Th...