High court quashes dowry complaint

The Bombay high court quashed a criminal complaint lodged against a man by his wife after  she withdrew the charges of dowry harassment on the basis of a settlement, after the intervention of a social organisation.

A division bench comprising justices Abhay Oka and SS Jadhav said, “There appears to be a complete settlement in the dispute. The continuation of criminal proceedings will cause undue harassment to the applicant (husband) and the first respondent (wife).”
The court, however, has directed the Pydhonie police to file a report on the constitution of Bombay Social Service, a trust which runs the social organisation, Public Complaint C entre.
The couple from Pydhonie got married in November 2010. Five months into the marriage, the woman lodged a complaint with the police against her husband who was working in Dubai.

The police filed a charge sheet and the matter was pending before the Mazgaon court. The woman, who is in her mid-twenties, later approached the centre to redress her problems.

Abdul Maniyar, a member of the centre said, “Our panel, which comprises advocates and social workers, issued a notice to the husband to present himself before us. During a meeting, it was decided that the couple would be granted a divorce and it would be enforced once the wife withdraws her charges. It was also decided that the husband would pay Rs22,000 as permanent alimony to the wife.”

The couple then filed their consent terms before the Mazgaon court and sought for quashing of the complaint. However, the court rejected the plea and the husband later challenged the order in the HC.