- (1.) INSTANT petition has been filed under Section 482 of Code of Criminal Procedure with a prayer to quash FIR bearing No.153 dated 28.12.2009 for offences under Sections 498 -A/406 IPC P.S.Bhikhi, District Mansa with all consequential proceedings.
(2.) THE marriage of complainant -respondent No.2 was solemnized with the brother of both the petitioners on 14.05.2006. On investigation of the FIR, challan was presented against all four accused namely husband and his father and both the petitioners i.e. sisters of the husband of the complainant.
(3.) SEPARATE replies to the instant petition have been filed by the respondent -State and respondent No.2 -complainant. It was stated in the FIR that huge expenditure was incurred in the marriage and various costly items were given in the dowry. It was further stated that after the marriage on reaching village Lehra Mohabbat, Amarjit Kaur -petitioner No.1 kept with her one gold set, ear rings and finger ring weighing about 6 Tolas and Manmeet Kaur -petitioner No.2 kept 7 gold bangles weighing about 10 tolas and rest of the gold ornaments were given to husband of the complainant Avtar Singh in her presence who told complainant that as and when the said gold ornaments shall be required by you, the same shall be returned by them. Cash amount of Rs. 8 Lacs was given to Avtar Singh being cost of the car and another sum of '2 Lacs was given to the husband and the father -in -law for purchasing various articles. However instead of the new car, husband of complainant purchased an old Gypsy. It is further submitted that at the time of the marriage of brother of the complainant on 03.12.2006, a Zen car was given by his in -laws and therefore another demand of a car came from in -laws of the complainant. On 04.12.2006, the husband and father -in -law of complainant gave her beating and left her at her parental home threatening not to return until the demand of Zen car was met. The complainant went to her in -laws house with a Panchayat but that was a futile exercise. Then she made a complaint to police and the matter was compromised. The complaint was withdrawn and the complainant went to her matrimonial house. Even thereafter she was turned out of the matrimonial home, but the matter was again patched up. It was further stated that a Panchayat was convened about 6 months before the registration of FIR, in which amount of Rs.2 Lacs was paid to the in -laws of the complainant so that Zen car could be purchased. Rest of amount was to be invested by the husband and father -in -law of the complainant. Despite all this the complainant was tortured and harassed on the ground that she was unable to bear a child and her husband intends to contract second marriage.;