Bengaluru: The High Court has quashed proceedings of dowry harassment stating that complainant has not produced any evidence with regard to demand for dowry except allegations.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna observed that all family members have been dragged into the proceedings including 80-year-old bedridden lady. The court noted that every other allegation against the husband and all other members of the family is common, and hence permitting any further proceedings to continue against the petitioners would become an abuse of the process of law.

The proceedings were initiated for dowry harassment, assault and other offences under IPC as well as under Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 based on the complaint filed by the wife of a man before a court in Davanagere. They were married in October 2020, and after strained relationship the women moved to her parents’ house.

Following this, the husband had filed a civil suit against the wife in March 2021 and got restraining order which disallowed her from interfering in the household matters. After the civil proceedings, the woman too filed the dowry harassment complaint.