Court sets free man accused of harassment

A man from Uttar Pradesh who was accused of harassing his sister-in-law over dowry demands has been let off by a Delhi court citing a lack of evidence.

A man from Uttar Pradesh who was accused of harassing his sister-in-law over dowry demands has been let off by a Delhi court citing a lack of evidence.

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Metropolitan magistrate Shivali Sharma acquitted Kali Prasad of the charges of maltreating the complainant.

The judge, however, declared the woman's husband and his parents proclaimed offenders as they were untraceable.

"The overall evidence that has come on record is miserably insufficient to prove the offence under section 498A (subjecting woman to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code as charged against accused Kali Prasad. He is acquitted of the offences as charged against him," the judge said.

The woman told the court that she got married in April 1994 and was living in a one-room house with her husband and in-laws in west Delhi.

She was allegedly often taunted for the insufficient dowry her family had given her in-laws. Her mother-in-law had subsequently demanded Rs 50,000 as dowry, the woman had claimed.

She had also told the court that her husband had begun misbehaving with her after she requested him to separate from his family. She had alleged that her in-laws used to ill-treat her and did not even serve her food properly.

Before the trial, notices were issued to all those accused. Only Kali appeared before the court.During the trial, Kali had argued before the court that he was living separately from his parents and had never lived with his brother and sister-in-law.