India, Nov. 5 -- New Delhi

Mere taunts, casual remarks, vague allegations, or ordinary family disputes involving a husband's distant relatives do not amount to cruelty against a woman, the Delhi High Court has held, as it quashed criminal proceedings against a man's extended family members.

A bench of justice Amit Mahajan delivered the verdict on Monday, while dealing with a petition filed by a woman and her daughter seeking to quash a case registered by her nephew's wife under various sections of Indian Penal Code, including sections 498A (husband or relative of a husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), and 406 (criminal breach of trust).

In this case, the woman's nephew married in November 2023, but his wife later complained t...