Supreme Court Acquits 69-Year-Old Woman in Dowry Case: Here Are the Details

New Delhi: In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has acquitted a 69-year-old woman who had been convicted under the Dowry Prohibition Act due to insufficient and inconsistent evidence.

The case, which began in 2005, involved accusations of dowry demand and was heard by a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.

Background of the Case

The case dates back to November 2005, when the complainant and the appellant’s son were involved in an engagement ceremony. During the engagement, a dowry of Rs 50,000 was allegedly paid to the accused, including the appellant.

Following this, the complainant’s family claims that the appellant and other accused demanded additional dowry in the form of Rs 5 lakh in cash, 20 tolas of gold, and other items. The appellant’s family is said to have threatened to cancel the marriage if their demands were not met.

Despite an offer of Rs 1.5 lakh as a compromise, the complainant’s family was allegedly denied entry into the appellant’s home, and the marriage was subsequently called off. This led to the filing of an FIR against the appellant and two other accused individuals, resulting in a charge sheet and subsequent trial.

The Legal Journey and Conviction

Initially, the trial court convicted the appellant and the other accused under the Dowry Prohibition Act. They were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for three years and six months each, along with fines.

However, this sentence was later modified by the Metropolitan Sessions Judge in Hyderabad, reducing the term to six months of simple imprisonment for each offence while maintaining the conviction.

In April 2023, the Telangana High Court partially allowed the appellant’s revision plea by reducing the sentence further to two months of simple imprisonment for each offence. However, it upheld the appellant’s conviction for dowry-related offences.

Supreme Court’s Analysis and Acquittal

The Supreme Court, upon reviewing the case, found that the prosecution failed to provide consistent and credible evidence to support the dowry claim. The central issue in the case was the alleged dowry payment of Rs 50,000 at the engagement, which lacked any documentary evidence or independent corroboration.

The Apex Court noted that the prosecution’s case relied heavily on oral testimonies, but these testimonies were riddled with inconsistencies and lacked corroboration.

Key witnesses, including the complainant, her parents, and other relatives, were found to have contradictory statements that weakened their credibility.

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One key witness, a family acquaintance, initially claimed to have direct knowledge of the dowry payment, but later retracted this statement during cross-examination, admitting that he had no direct knowledge and was only repeating what he had heard.

This retraction, combined with the witness’s close association with the complainant’s family, cast significant doubts on the reliability of his evidence.

The Importance of Consistent and Credible Evidence

The Supreme Court emphasized the principle that criminal convictions, especially in cases involving serious allegations like dowry demand and cheating, must be based on clear, consistent, and credible evidence.

In this case, the Court found the oral testimonies to be unreliable, with many witnesses repeating the complainant’s allegations without offering material corroboration or firsthand details.

Further, the Court pointed out that much of the prosecution’s case relied on hearsay testimony, which is not enough to establish guilt unless it falls within specific exceptions to the hearsay rule. The lack of any documentary evidence or neutral corroborating witnesses further weakened the prosecution’s case.

Final Verdict: Acquittal of the Appellant

In light of these issues, the Supreme Court ruled that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to prove the dowry demand beyond a reasonable doubt. The Court stressed that the burden of proof lies with the prosecution, and in this case, the evidence was neither firm nor consistent enough to sustain the appellant’s conviction.

As a result, the Supreme Court set aside the judgment and order passed by the Telangana High Court in April 2023, as well as the concurrent findings of the lower courts. The appellant was acquitted of all charges, and the appeal was allowed.

The Court’s ruling underscores the importance of credible evidence in criminal cases, especially when dealing with serious allegations like dowry harassment, and sets a precedent for future cases where the evidence may be weak or inconsistent.