Karnataka : The Karnataka High Court, led by Justice M Nagaprasanna, has dismissed criminal charges against a man and his parents, as brought forward by his wife due to his refusal to establish physical intimacy in their marriage. The court reasoned that while the man's denial of physical relations could constitute as cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, it does not fall under the purview of IPC Section 498A. The man in question, who petitioned the court, had been charged under IPC Section 498A and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. His defence was rooted in his belief that love should be "soul to soul" rather than solely focused on physical intimacy, a belief stemming from his affiliation with a certain spiritual order. The court took note that the sole allegation against the petitioner was his philosophical belief and lack of intention to engage in physical intimacy. The judges concluded that the absence of physical intimacy while
