New Delhi, Financial dominance of a husband over his estranged wife in a soured marital relationship is not an act of cruelty, the Supreme Court has said while highlighting that a criminal litigation cannot become a “gateway to settle scores and pursue personal vendettas”. Husband’s financial dominance in matrimonial discord does not amount to cruelty: SC A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan made the observation while quashing a criminal case lodged against an estranged husband by his wife, alleging cruelty and dowry harassment. Setting aside a Telangana High Court verdict that had refused to quash the FIR, Justice Nagarathna said, “The monetary and financial dominance of the accused-appellant, as alleged by the complainant-respondent No.2, cannot qualify as an instance of cruelty, especially in the absence of any tangible mental or physical harm caused. “The said situation is a mirror reflection of the Indian society, where men of the households often try to dominate and take charge of the finances of the women, but criminal litigation cannot become a gateway or a …