The Delhi High Court has quashed a dowry-harassment FIR lodged against the parents and sister of a man who died by suicide just 40 days after his wedding, holding that the allegations were vague and not backed by evidence.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, in a judgment delivered on Wednesday, observed that the case was a clear example of misuse of the legal process.
“The complaint, when considered as a whole, does not reflect any act of harassment or cruelty,” the court said.
The couple got married in March 2016 and began living in Pune. According to the man’s family, differences quickly emerged between the newlyweds, and the husband became depressed and frustrated.
They alleged that the woman’s family pressurised and threatened him to continue living with her under all circumstances. The parents-in-law said they were also threatened with false cases of dowry harassment and domestic violence.
On April 13, 2016—barely 40 days after the wedding—the husband died by suicide. His father then lodged a complaint seeking a fair investigation into the circumstances of his son’s death.
Shortly after, the woman left the matrimonial home and took away her belongings from their rented residence. Two months later, she filed a complaint before the Crime Against Women Cell against her in-laws, alleging mental torture for dowry, conspiracy, abetment to suicide, and other offences.
In 2016, an FIR was registered against the deceased’s parents and sister for alleged cruelty under Section 498A IPC and criminal breach of trust under Section 406 IPC. The in-laws approached the High Court seeking quashing of the FIR.
They argued that the allegations were retaliatory and unfounded, pointing to the timeline of events and the circumstances surrounding the husband’s mental health and suicide.
Justice Krishna observed that the entire record showed that the husband had been unhappy and stressed about his marriage, particularly because he had a prior friendship with another woman.
“It all reflects that the deceased husband had friendship with some girl prior to his marriage and was unhappy and stressed about his marriage with respondent no.2 (complainant woman). Despite best efforts, the husband committed suicide barely within 40 days of marriage. It is a reverse case where the husband has died because of stresses faced by him after marriage and not otherwise,” the court said.
The judge noted that the allegations of dowry harassment were “evidently vague” and unsupported by “any cogent evidence.”
“It is evidently a case of vague allegations and a clear case of abuse of power and it is not in the interest of justice if the present proceedings are permitted to be continued,” the court added.
The High Court quashed the FIR registered against the deceased man’s parents and sister, effectively discharging them from the case.
The court remarked that this was an unfortunate case where the marriage lasted less than 40 days and ended in tragedy, followed by strained relations and “ugly litigation.”
