Karnataka HC Provides Relief to Man and His Bedridden Grandmother in Dowry Case
In a significant decision, the Karnataka High Court has quashed proceedings in a dowry harassment case, offering relief to Mohammed Shameer and his 80-year-old bedridden grandmother. The case, which was pending in a Davanagere court, also involved Shameer’s parents, brother, sister-in-law, and a distant relative.
The complaint was lodged by Jasmine, Shameer’s wife from Chitradurga, who accused them of dowry harassment, assault, and other offenses under the Indian Penal Code and the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. Shameer and Jasmine were married on October 24, 2020, but soon after, they began having differences, leading Jasmine to return to her parents’ home.
In March 2021, Shameer filed a civil suit against Jasmine, which resulted in the court restraining her from interfering in his household matters. Three months later, he filed for divorce, prompting Jasmine to file her complaint, alleging dowry harassment and an attempt to kill her.
The petitioners, including Shameer, challenged the complaint, claiming it was a counteraction to the civil suit and divorce proceedings. They highlighted the inclusion of Shameer’s 80-year-old bedridden grandmother as an example of abuse of the legal process. Jasmine did not respond to the notice, and the government advocate argued that the trial should proceed since a chargesheet had been filed.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna noted that every family member was implicated without substantial allegations. He emphasized that even the bedridden grandmother was named based on vague statements. The judge found no evidence to support the claim of an attempted murder by the husband, deeming all other allegations as common and unsupported. He concluded that allowing further proceedings would constitute an abuse of the legal process.
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