First ruling in which trial court has asked police to register an FIR against a bride and five members of her family for giving dowry

In perhaps the first such ruling ever, a trial court in the capital has asked police to register an FIR against a bride and five members of her family for giving dowry.

There was trouble between Sunil and Latika (names changed) just a year after they got married in 2004. Latika left her husband’s house on August 4, 2005 and filed a dowry harassment case with the antidowry cell against Sunil and his family.

She claimed that her family had spent more than Rs 10 lakh on the wedding, gave Rs 2 lakh in cash for a car and another Rs 1.15 lakh as dowry. A case was registered against Sunil and his family under Section 498(A), 406 and 34 of the IPC.

But Sunil also went to court, seeking to register an FIR against Latika and her family for fulfilling his dowry demands. In his petition filed in August 2008, Sunil asked that an FIR be registered under Section 3 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, which punishes giving dowry with up to five years in prison and a fine of at least Rs 15,000 or the value of the dowry, whichever is more.

Metropolitan Magistrate Neeraj Gaur observed that giving dowry was a cognisable offence and directed the station house officer (SHO) of Model Town police station to register an FIR. The court also asked the SHO to start investigating the case against Latika and her family.
Source :- The Times of India 7 June 2009 P 1 Delhi
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