Woman, kin in dock for giving dowry

A Noida court has ordered registration of a criminal case against a woman and her family for allegedly giving dowry, Sumit Saxena reports.

A Noida court has ordered registration of a criminal case against a woman and her family for allegedly giving dowry.

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The chief judicial magistrate ordered the registration of an FIR against Sheila (name changed) and her family after her husband Mohit (name changed) complained that his in-laws were trying to extort money by filing a dowry demand case against him.

Mohit, an engineer in an MNC, alleged that police registered a case against him without verifying the complaint of his wife, also an engineer in an MNC and her family members, who claimed to have given him articles and cash worth about Rs 23 lakh.

“The police officials in Noida simply denied taking any action against my in-laws, and also refused to register any complaint,” Mohit alleged.

The court noted that according to a Delhi Police circular, the commissioner has issued standing orders that in case a grown-up and educated women gets married to a person despite a demand for dowry, she and her family members also become accomplices under Section 3 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

“The charges were never verified.... Dowry-givers are considered accomplices under the Dowry Prohibition Act,” said Mohit’s counsel Pradeep Nawani.