In Dr. Sushil Kumar Purbey v. State of Bihar, the Supreme Court of India, through Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, held that vague allegations such as merely “quarrelling” with a daughter-in-law cannot constitute cruelty or dowry harassment. Examining proceedings under Section 498A IPC, the Court found no specific acts or incidents attributed to the parents-in-law, noting that general and omnibus accusations cannot justify criminal prosecution. Applying the principle of parity, the Court observed that since identical allegations against the sister-in-law were already quashed, similar relief must extend to the parents-in-law. Emphasising the need to prevent misuse of criminal law, the Court quashed proceedings against them while permitting the case against the husband to continue in accordance with law.