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The Supreme Court acquitted a woman in a dowry harassment case, overturning Uttarakhand High Court’s verdict, citing lack of reliable evidence.
Supreme Court of India.
The Supreme Court on Friday acquitted a woman accused of harassing her daughter-in-law for dowry, observing that “word spreads faster than the wind about a daughter-in-law being harassed by her in-laws.” A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria delivered the ruling while setting aside a Uttarakhand High Court judgment that had upheld her conviction and three-year sentence under Section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code.
The section, now part of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, penalises cruelty by a husband or his relatives against a married woman. The case dates back to June 2001, when the complainant alleged that his pregnant daughter was found dead in her matrimonial home. He claimed she had faced constant harassment from her mother-in-law, including sarcastic remarks linked to dowry. Her husband was reportedly out of town at the time.
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The trial court acquitted the men in the family but convicted the mother-in-law, a decision later affirmed by the high court. However, the Supreme Court noted that a neighbour had testified there had been no dowry demand and faulted the lower courts for disregarding her evidence.
“Her evidence having been brushed aside… is an erroneous finding,” the bench said, adding that mere allegations could not sustain a conviction without reliable proof.
While reaffirming that “demand for dowry in any form” would attract Section 498-A, the Supreme Court said the deceased’s mother’s deposition did not inspire confidence to conclude that harassment or dowry demands had driven the woman to suicide.
The bench allowed the appeal, setting aside the conviction and acquitting the accused.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
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