The High Court has passed a remarkable judgment in the case of Pranjal Shukla and 2 Others v. State of U.P. and Another, wherein the husband had been accused of dowry demands and cruelty. The entire case against the husband was quashed where it has been held by the Court that such allegations are false and concocted.
The wife’s counsel and the father contended that since a chargesheet was issued, that meant prima facie, the allegations had been found to be true. However, the High Court, after going through the records of the case, found that there were no specific allegations against the applicant in the FIR.
What actually happened?
The Court, on finding so, analyzed that the torture or assault, if any, by the husband was solely for refusal of wife to satisfy his sexual lust and not for any dowry demands. By this finding, the cruelty charge under Section 498A of the IPC was actually dispelled.
The Court referred to the judgment of the Supreme Court in Geeta Mehrotra v. State of U.P., where it had said that casual references to family members in matrimonial disputes, without specific allegations of involvement, would not justify taking cognizance against them.
The Court also referred to the recent judgment of the Apex Court in Achin Gupta v. State of Haryana and Another, wherein it was held that sending someone to trial on the basis of general omnibus allegations bereft of any specific details about each instance of criminal conduct amounts to an abuse of the process of the Court.
The Court emphasised that it is the Court’s duty to sift such allegations in matrimonial disputes for some grain of truth. In the instant case, it held that the allegations were made with the express purpose of ensnaring the applicant in a criminal charge without any sufficient cause.
Decision Appreciated: As High Court found allegations false Husband Accused of Dowry Demands
The Court, therefore, quashed the entire case against the applicant, and by doing so, showed that careful evaluation of family involvement in matrimonial disputes is very important. Further, the Court added that in matrimonial disputes, false allegations lead to abuse in the process of law.
The judgment reminds the courts that there should not be any unwarranted harassment of relatives in cases involving matrimonial cases. It pointed out the judiciary’s responsibility in discouraging the misuse of criminal law in family issues. Upon the fact that there was no specific and sufficient evidence against the applicant, the High Court Quashes Case Against Husband Accused of Dowry Demands. It gave its decision based on respect for an individual’s protection against false accusations in matrimonial cases.
The judgment is an eye-opener for courts to distinguish between genuine and frivolous complaints. This judgment only seeks to guard against the abuse in matrimonial cases of section 498A IPC. A very vital role played by the High Court was in assessing evidence and scrutinizing the genuineness of the accusation.
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