498A Recent Judgment – Stray &
Sweeping Allegations against Distant Relatives of Husband is liable to be
Quashed
 |
498a quash Judgement |
HIGH
COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD ON 06.06.2019 in the case registered u/s 498-A,
354, 323, 504 and 506 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code
quashed the proceedings against the distant relatives of the husband who are
living separately and only vague and general allegations are levied against
them. The Hon’ble Court states that it would unjust and improper to allow the prosecution
to proceed against relatives. It would be an futile efforts and cause
injustice to them. It would also dissipate the precious time of Court of
law. The ends of justice would be served by ensuring that the applicants
may not be forced unnecessarily to go on litigations before the Criminal
Court. Hence, penal proceeding initiated against them deserves to be quashed
and set aside.
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According
to Prosecution – the complainant approached to the Beed City Police Station, District
Beed, on 20-03-2019 and ventilated the grievance that her marriage was
solemnized with the applicant No.1, on 20-04-2018. After the marriage,
she joined company of husband at her matrimonial home in joint family of
her husband, in-laws and others. According to complainant, initially for
about one month after the marriage, she received good treatment from the
husband and his relatives. Thereafter, complainant had visited to her
parental house on the occasion of festival of month of 'Dhonda' (Adhikmas). Her husband came to her parental house to
fetch wife .
Thereafter,
spouses returned to matrimonial home. But, the in-laws of used to scold her for not bringing any gold
ornaments from her parents on the occasion of “Dhonda”festival. The husband and in-laws of placed demand of Rs.2,00,000/- and insisted
the wife to bring money from her
parents. Father-in-law attempted to indulge in the activities of
molestation of daughter-in-law the complainant. But, she refused to
yield his advances. There were continuous torture and harassment to the
wife on account of unlawful demand of money. Eventually, the
circumstances constrained wife to approach to the Police to lodge
report. Pursuant to FIR, Police of Beed city Police Station registered
the crime and set the penal law in motion against applicants.
Pending
the investigation,the applicant preferred the application seeking remedy under
Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. for relief to quash and set aside the penal
proceeding initiated against them bearing FIR No. 50 of 2019.
Learned
counsel for applicants submits that there were no physical and mental
cruelty to the complainant, but she has filed penal proceedings against
applicants on the basis of false accusation. There were no specific
allegations about maltreatment and torture to complainant on the part of applicants. All the allegations
are general and vague in nature. The four distant relatives are the
distant relatives residing separately from husband and in-laws of
complainant. They had no any reason to cause any interference in the marital life
of spouses and in no manner they could be beneficiaries of the alleged
mental and physical cruelty to the complainant. He further submitted
that the allegations nurtured on behalf of complainant in the FIR are
baseless and stray allegations. The complainant roped the applicants in
this case just to get settled the scores. Hence, he requested to quash
the proceedings against the applicants.
The
learned APP as well as learned counsel for wife- first informant raised
the objections to the contentions propounded on behalf of applicants and
submit that recitals in the FIR discloses the mental and physical
cruelty meted out to the complainant at
the hands of applicants. The complainant specifically made allegation
that there was unlawful demand of money on the part of husband and in- laws
of the complainant. The in-laws and other relatives used to instigate
husband for cruelty to complainant . The learned counsel for complainant
filed affidavit-in-reply on record in support of her claim.
Having
given anxious consideration to the arguments advanced on behalf of both
sides, the hon’ble High Court was reluctant to nod in favour of husband
and in-laws to exercise inherent powers under Section 482 of Cr.P.C.
Eventually, learned counsel for husband and in-laws seeks leave to
withdraw the proceedings to their extent only. Accordingly, leave was
granted and husband and in-laws were allowed to withdraw their
application for relief to exonerate from the charges made against them
in FIR.
In
regard to allegations nurtured against four distant relatives, we find
that allegations cast on behalf of complainant against these distant
relative are vague and general in nature. There are no specific
allegations in regard to their overt-act for maltreatment and harassment
to the complainant. There were no detail particulars given in the FIR
about participation or role played by these four distant relatives for their
act of humiliation or insult to the complainant on account of her
character. The allegations about scolding, etc. on the part of four
distant relatives all are stray and sweeping in nature.
At
this juncture, the question that arises, whether the FIR registered
against applicant can be quashed and set aside by exercise of powers
under Section 482 of Cr.P.C. The Hon’ble court mention that the Honourable
Apex Court in the case of - KansrajVs. State of Punja and others reported in (2000)5Supreme Court Cases, 207 observed that, ”a tendency has, however, developed for roping in all relations of the in-laws of the deceased wives in the matters of
dowry deaths which, if not discouraged is likely to affect the case of
the prosecution even against the real culprits. In the cases, where accusations are made,
the overt-acts attributed to persons other than husband, are required to
be proved beyond reasonable doubt. Their Lordships of Apex Court further
observed that, “in their over- enthusiasm
and anxiety to seek conviction for maximum people, the parents of the deceased
have been found to be making efforts for involving other relations which
ultimately weaken the case of the prosecution even against the real
accused.”
The High
court relied on the case of - Preeti Gupta and another Vs. State of Jharkhand and another, reported in (2010) 7 Supreme Court Cases 667, it has been delineated that ultimate object of justice is to find out
truth and punish the guilty and protect the innocent. A serious relook
of the entire provision of Section 498-A of Cr.P.C. is warranted by the
legislature. It was observed that the exaggerated versions of the
incidents are also reflected in a very large number of complaints.
Likewise
the High court relied on the case of, in the case of - Arnesh Kumar Vs. State of Bihar andanother, reported in (2014) 8 Supreme Court cases, 273, the Honourable Apex Court elucidated the
fact that, “Section 498-A of IPC is
a cognizable and non bailable offence has lent it a dubious place of pride
amongst the provisions that are used as weapons rather than shield by
disgruntled wives. The simplest way to harass is to get the husband and
his relatives arrested under this provisions.”
The High
court relied on the case of the Honourable Apex Court in the case of State of Haryana and others Vs. Ch. Bhajan
Lal and others reported in MANU/SC/0115/1992
: 1991(1) RCR(Cri), 383 (SC) held that “where the proceedings is instituted with an ulterior motive or
were the allegations made in the complaint are absurd and improbable,
the Court would be within its power to quash the complaint/FIR”. Moreover, if the allegations in the FIR
against the applicants are taken at their face value and accepted the
same in its entirety would not constitute any offence or make out case
against applicants, in such circumstances, there would not be any
propriety to allow the prosecution to proceed further into the matter.
According
to the proceedings and consideration the High Court stated that:-
In the
matter in hand, it would unjust and improper to allow the prosecution to
proceed against four distant relatives. It would be an futile efforts
and cause injustice to them. It would also dissipate the precious time
of Court of law. The ends of justice would be served by ensuring that
the applicants may not be forced unnecessarily to go on litigations
before the Criminal Court.
The penal
proceeding initiated against the relatives is quashed and set aside.
The EBOOK FIGHTING 498A – THE RIGHT
APPROACH WILL HELP IN UNDERSTAND THE 498A LAW AND GIVE YOU WAY TO FIGHT AND
SAVE YOUR YEARS FROM COURTS
|
You can contact for legal consultation or advice by
discussing with me Contact now
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