Karnataka High Court quashes cruelty case against ‘seventh’ husband of a woman married ‘nine times’

The Karnataka High Court recently dismissed a cruelty and dowry harassment case filed against a 49-year-old man, identified as Hussain, who is also a politician. The court ruled that the alleged "ninth" marriage of Hussain's wife, Tabasum, should not be considered as evidence of criminal misconduct. According to the court, merely having multiple marriages does not constitute criminal activity.

The case was filed by Tabasum in August 2022, alleging that Hussain had used the criminal justice system to extort money from him after they married in January 2022. Hussain then discovered Tabasum's past marriages and submitted documents proving her history, including criminal cases filed against her after each marriage. The court noted that Tabasum had married four additional times after divorcing, talaq, or khula from her previous partners.

The court found the alleged pattern of conduct by Tabasum to be baseless and lacking in factual basis, and ruled that continuing the criminal proceedings against Hussain would constitute an abuse of the court process, potentially resulting in a miscarriage of justice.