A Single Judge bench of K.S Mudagal, J. slammed a daughter-in-law for filing a false case of dowry against her mother-in-law and quashed the FIR registered against petitioner mother-in-law.

In this case, an instant criminal writ petition was filed under Section 482 (CrPC) praying for quashing of FIR and chargesheet filed against the petitioner (MIL) and her son by her daughter-in-law (complainant) for offences allegedly committed by them under Sections 498 A and 114 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Sections 3 and 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.

Going through the evidences, the court observed that the petitioner was not even residing with her son and complainant daughter-in-law and so she could not have harassed the complainant (Daughter in law).
Also the complainant had merely stated that cash and gold was given at the time of her marriage. But the court was of the view that the same did not mean that it was given at petitioner’s behest. The Court also took note of the forum chosen by the complainant remarking that while the petitioner resided in a remote area of Andhra Pradesh, the case was filed against her in Davanagere Women Police Station.

The Court further observed that proceedings against the petitioner was nothing but abuse of process of the court and continuance of the same would amount to failure of justice system. Therefore, the petition of the mother in law was allowed and proceedings against the petitioner were quashed.

Case title: quashed.[Puttalakshmi v. State of Karnataka,2018