Justice Tej Pratap Tiwari dismissed petition

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has refused to grant relief to the husband and mother-in-law in a case involving allegations of dowry harassment and usurpation of Stridhan. The court stated that the mother-in-law has been accused of failing to return Stridhan and other serious charges, the veracity of which can only be determined during the trial based on the evidence. With this observation, a single bench of Justice Tej Pratap Tiwari dismissed the petition seeking quashing of the entire trial. An FIR has been registered against the petitioner, Geeta, and others at the Tila Mod police station in Ghaziabad for dowry harassment and other charges. The complainant alleges that since their marriage on February 2, 2012, she has been harassed for demanding additional dowry. She has been assaulted, mentally harassed, and her Stridhan has not been returned. The woman also alleged that she was thrown out of the house and threatened. The husband and his mother have sought to quash the case proceedings. The petitioner’s lawyer argued that the FIR is false and malicious and that the woman left the house of her own free will. This case has been filed out of vengeance. However, the state government and the complainant opposed the petition, stating that the FIR clearly states cognizable offenses. The material gathered during the investigation also supports the allegations. The court stated that when exercising the powers vested in it under Section 482 of the CrPC, the court’s function is not to evaluate evidence or conduct a “mini-trial.” If the FIR and the available material prima facie indicate a crime, the proceedings cannot be quashed at this stage.