- (1.) On a complaint by Sudesh Rani, F.I.R. No. 27 dated 19.1.1999 under Sections 323, 406, 498-A, 420, 506, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Police Station Chandni Bag's, Panipat, wherein Sudesh Rani has alleged that she married Sudesh Kumar on 11.12.1994, that the dowry articles were handed over to the accused persons and that the accused persons started taunting from the very first day of her matrimonial life. It has also been alleged that the accused demanded a colour television, Rs. 21,000/- in cash and did not even provide her with good food during the delivery days and also milk etc. to the newly born child. She has also alleged that her husband died in an motor accident and when a child was born to her in about one and about 1-1/4 months thereafter, her father-in-law and mother-in- law gave hukka water to the child. She has also alleged that her signatures were obtained on some papers and registers fraudulently and at that time her father-in-law Shyam Lal and sister-in-law Kanta were present. The complainant has also alleged that a sum of Rs. 30,000/- by way of G.P.F. etc. due to her husband has been taken by the accused. According to the complainant when she enquired about the amount, she was beaten and thrown out of the matrimonial house. The complainant has also alleged that Kanta and Bhagwati caught hold of her and slapped her, when they came to know that the complainant had complained to the Panchayat.
(2.) The petitioners, who are brother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother of her father-in-law and husband of her sister-in-law, have approached this court under Section 482 Cr. P.C. for quashing the F.I.R. in question. According to the petitioners, there are no specific allegations against the petitioners, that the allegation regarding a sum of Rs. 30,000/- is against the father-in- law of the complainant only and that there is no allegation that the petitioners treated her cruelly except the vague allegation that Kanta slapped. The petitioners also claim that the petitioners No. 1 and 4 reside at Rewari, petitioners No. 2 and 3 reside at Faridabad, while the 5th petitioner resides at Gurgaon. According to them the petitioners No. 2 and 3 were married in 1980 itself. They also claim that the complainant while leaving matrimonial home in October 1977 took with her all the dowry articles to her parental home.
(3.) Reply has been filed on behalf of the State, alleging among other things that the charge-sheet has been filed against the petitioners on 10.5.1999 itself, and also alleging that some of the dowry articles like television, dressing table and Sofa Set were recovered from Shyam Lal and Shiv Charan (4th petitioner) Bhagwati and Adesh Kumar (first-petitioner).;