The Supreme Court has ruled that sending money to parents and requiring an accounting of household expenses does not constitute cruelty under dowry harassment laws. The apex court stated that such issues reflect the normal wear and tear of marriage and should be handled with extreme caution to prevent the abuse of legal processes. The judgment came while quashing a criminal case against a US-based engineer accused by his estranged wife, emphasizing that financial control claims alone cannot trigger criminal prosecution in matrimonial disputes.