Do you also ask your wife to account for her expenses? Please read this decision of the Supreme Court

Often there are arguments between husband and wife regarding money transactions and household expenses. But have you ever thought that if a husband asks his wife to account for every penny or asks her to make an excel sheet of expenses, is it a legal offense? Can the husband be jailed on this basis? On this complicated question, the Supreme Court has given a very important and clear message decision, which is very important for today’s couples to know.

What is the whole matter and the court’s comment?

The Supreme Court has made it clear that merely asking for details of expenses, exercising financial control over the wife or asking her to keep accounts does not in itself amount to ‘criminal cruelty’. Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan’s bench, while giving this verdict on December 19, 2025, said that unless such behavior causes any serious mental or physical harm to the wife, it cannot be classified as a crime. With this decision, the court canceled the case of section 498A (dowry harassment and cruelty) registered against a husband.

Story of engineer couple living in America

This case is related to a software engineer couple living in America. They got married in 2016 and had a son in 2019. After mutual differences, the wife returned to India with the child and refused to live with her husband. When the husband sent a legal notice to the wife in January 2022 to recall her, in response the wife filed a serious case of dowry harassment and cruelty against the husband and his family.

Wife’s allegations and Supreme Court’s reasoning

The wife had alleged in her complaint that her husband used to ask for excessive accounts and forced her to record every small and big expense in an excel sheet. Apart from this, she alleged that her husband used to send money to his parents, did not support her during pregnancy and also taunted her about her weight gain.

However, after looking deeply into these arguments, the Supreme Court said that these allegations are like everyday disputes in married life. The Court commented that in India men often control the financial affairs of the household, but criminal prosecution cannot be initiated on this basis alone. According to the court, even though the husband’s behavior may be insensitive, every wrong behavior does not amount to ‘cruelty’.

Using law to take revenge is wrong

The court found that the allegations made by the wife were very general and there was no concrete evidence or incident to support them. Dowry demand was claimed, but neither any date was given nor any evidence was presented. The Supreme Court said in a strict tone that stringent laws like Section 498A should not be used to settle personal grudges or take revenge. Ultimately, the Court completely quashed the FIR and legal proceedings lodged against the husband.