In Mrs. N G v. The State of Maharashtra & Anr., the Bombay High Court quashed criminal proceedings against the wife of the husband’s cousin, holding that vague allegations based on suspicion of an alleged extra-marital relationship were insufficient to constitute “cruelty” under Section 498-A of the IPC. The complainant relied on allegations that her husband frequently spoke with the petitioner, had the petitioner’s son’s name tattooed on his hand, and shared her photographs on social media. The Court held that, even if accepted at face value, these allegations did not establish any wilful conduct, dowry demand, or active participation by the petitioner in subjecting the wife to physical or mental cruelty. Emphasising that criminal liability under Section 498-A requires specific and intentional acts of harassment, the Court cautioned against the routine implication of relatives without concrete evidence. Accordingly, it exercised its inherent powers to quash the proceedings against the petitioner while allowing the trial to continue against the remaining accused.