The Supreme Court on Wednesday raised concerns about the potential misuse of the anti-dowry law, observing that it is sometimes wielded as a tool for unnecessary harassment. 

The apex court's statement comes amid outrage over the suicide of a 34-year-old techie, Atul Subhash, over alleged harassment by his wife Nikita Singhania.

The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the misuse of the anti-dowry law, highlighting that while the legislation was enacted to protect women from domestic violence and dowry harassment, it is sometimes misused to fulfill unreasonable demands. 

A bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice N Kotiswar Singh dismissed a case of cruelty and dowry harassment filed by a wife against a man from Telangana and his family. The court observed that the husband had initially filed a civil suit seeking to dissolve the marriage, following which the wife lodged a dowry harassment complaint under Section 498A of the IPC.

The bench noted that the anti-dowry law is often used as "a weapon in personal disputes" with the husband and his family.

It was observed that baseless allegations are frequently made in such cases, with the intent to harass the husband and his relatives. The court emphasized the importance of investigating facts in these cases to prevent misuse of the judicial process.

However, the judges clarified that their comments were not meant to apply to all cases, but rather to address their concern about the potential misuse of the law.