In a decision that touches upon the fine balance between protecting complainants of dowry harassment and shielding innocent relatives from unnecessary litigation, the Delhi High Court has quashed an FIR lodged against an 18-year-old woman who had been accused in connection with a matrimonial dispute.
Background
The case stemmed from FIR No. 357/2024 registered at Pandav Nagar police station under Sections 498A, 406, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The FIR alleged cruelty, harassment, and dowry-related abuse by the complainant’s husband and his immediate family.
The petitioner, Ms. Harsheeta Thakur, was named among six accused persons. However, her alleged role was limited to claims that she destroyed CCTV cameras at the complainant's marital home and locked furniture to cause inconvenience. Importantly, she was only 18 years old and still in school at the time.
Court's Observations
Justice Ajay Digpaul, who authored the judgment, noted that the serious social evil of dowry harassment "must be dealt with in utmost seriousness," but added a caution that innocent individuals, especially distant relatives, should not be dragged into matrimonial disputes merely because of blood ties.
The court highlighted that the complainant herself did not oppose quashing the FIR as far as the petitioner was concerned. Her counsel submitted that the complainant had no intention of pressing charges against the young woman, particularly given her age and the personal trauma of losing her father during the same period.
The bench observed,
"The attempt to rid society of these evils must be balanced with the rights of those innocents who may be roped into the dispute purely by distant association."
The court also cited earlier Supreme Court rulings, including Rajesh Chaddha vs. State of U.P. and Dara Lakshmi Narayana vs. State of Telangana, where the apex court had repeatedly criticized the practice of implicating extended family members in matrimonial disputes without substantive allegations.
Decision
In view of the lack of significant charges, the complainant's no-objection, and the petitioner's age and circumstances at the time of the alleged incident, the High Court ordered the quashing of FIR No. 357/2024 only against the petitioner.
Justice Digpaul made it clear that while dowry harassment cases deserve strict scrutiny, courts must also ensure that young individuals or distant relatives are not unfairly entangled in family disputes. The applications linked to the case were accordingly disposed of.
The order brings relief to the petitioner, marking another instance where the judiciary has attempted to strike equilibrium between fighting the menace of dowry and protecting innocents from unnecessary prosecution.
Case Title:- Harsheeta thakur v. State Govt. of NCT of delhi and anr