The Karnataka High Court has acquitted a US-based doctor and his 77-year-old mother, observing that the wife’s complaints seemed to exaggerate minor issues. The court ruled that her complaints were vague and lacked sufficient details to support the allegations.
The wife had accused her husband of pressuring her to pursue further studies to secure a job in the US. She also claimed that her mother-in-law pushed her to have a child, insisted she eat more food, and pressured her to learn the Tamil language, among other grievances.
In 2013, a Bengaluru magistrate court convicted the doctor and his mother under Section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The doctor was sentenced to one year of simple imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh, while his mother was sentenced to six months in jail with a fine of Rs 10,000.
The trial court’s decision was upheld by the city civil and sessions court in 2016. However, the doctor and his mother challenged the verdict in the Karnataka High Court. Justice HB Prabhakara Sastry, reviewing the case, noted that both the trial and sessions courts were swayed by the wife’s testimony, which lacked substantial evidence and details.
Justice Sastry pointed out that even though the wife claimed she could only communicate with her younger sister through emails, the sister was not brought in as a witness by the prosecution. In one of the emails dated August 11, 2008, the wife wrote that her mother-in-law was forcing her to eat large amounts of food, and if she refused, she would be forced to fast. She further complained that her mother-in-law fought with her daily, making it difficult to eat or breathe properly.
The judge noted that small differences and preferences are common in most families, but the complainant appeared to magnify trivial matters into major issues. Ultimately, the high court acquitted the doctor and his mother, dismissing the charges.
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