Thane Court Acquits Man and his Relatives Accused for Cruelty on Wife

A court in Thane (Maharashtra) has acquitted a man and his family members accused of subjecting his wife to cruelty, noting the woman “resiled” and did not support her own version.

Additional Sessions Judge Amit M Shete, in the order, gave the benefit of doubt to the accused, noting that the woman “resiled” and did not support her own version.

Those acquitted include the woman’s 34-year-old husband, her in-laws, sister-in-law, and a brother-in-law who is an Army man. They faced charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 498-A (cruelty), 313 (causing miscarriage without a woman’s consent), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (common intention).

According to the prosecutor, the woman got married on August 3, 2013. Allegations were made that her husband and in-laws harassed her mentally and physically over household work, a dowry demand of Rs 4 lakh, and other reasons. It was claimed that she was kept starving and tortured through assaults and threats.

During her pregnancy, it was alleged that her husband assaulted her in the stomach, resulting in a miscarriage.

In the judge’s order, it was stated, “The informant resiled and did not support her own version. The complaint remained unproven.” The court noted that the panchanamas only showed the arrest of the accused and nothing else.

Upon examination of the medical certificate, it was found that the informant had sustained no external injuries. The court pointed out, “The medical examination of the informant revealed no pregnancy. It is specifically mentioned in the certificate that there was no sign of pregnancy.” Thus, the serious charge of causing miscarriage was deemed disproved.

Additionally, the court observed that the woman’s brother-in-law, an Army personnel posted in Jammu and Kashmir, remained absent during the hearing. The court clarified, “The law is settled, if there is an acquittal order, it can be extended to the absent accused.”