Overview
- Justices Sanjay Karol and N. K. Singh framed the question of whether cruelty provisions under IPC Section 498A and BNS Section 85 extend to a live-in relationship in the nature of marriage.
- The Court impleaded the Union of India through the Law Ministry, requested ASG Aishwarya Bhati’s assistance, and appointed Nina R. Nariman as amicus curiae.
- All further trial proceedings against petitioner Lokesh B. H. have been stayed pending the Court’s examination of the legal issue.
- The appeal challenges a November 18, 2025 Karnataka High Court ruling that allowed 498A to cover relationships resembling marriage, rejecting a narrow reading of the term “husband.”
- The underlying case involves allegations by Teertha of dowry demand and an attempted burning, a 2023 chargesheet, and a separate Bengaluru family-court suit on marital status that remains pending.