The present petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure has been preferred by the petitioners seeking quashment of the
FIR, charge-sheet, and all consequential proceedings arising out of Crime
No. 21 of 2023 registered at Mahila Police Thana, District Bhind, for
offences punishable under Sections 377, 354, 498-A, 323, 294, 506, 34 of the
Indian Penal Code, Sections 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, and Section
30 of the Arms Act.
2. As per the prosecution case, the complainant was lawfully married
to petitioner No.1, Krishna Gopal Sharma, son of petitioner No.2, Surendra
Sharma, at Bhind in accordance with Hindu rites and customs. At the time of
marriage, the complainant’s parents, within their financial means, provided
NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-GWL:9922
2 MCRC-23881-2024
sufficient dowry articles, including Rs.4,00,000/- in cash, gold ornaments
(two gold rings, chain, and other jewellery), and various household articles
such as a sofa set, double bed, washing machine, refrigerator, dressing table,
sewing machine, LCD television, Godrej almirah, mixer, juicer, and other
items. Despite this, the accused persons remained dissatisfied and
persistently alleged that the marriage had been settled for Rs.10,00,000/-,
asserting that only Rs.4,00,000/- had been paid and demanded the remaining
Rs.6,00,000/- along with a Bullet motorcycle. It is alleged that the
complainant was continuously subjected to cruelty and harassment in
connection with the said unlawful demands. Upon informing her parents,
they expressed their inability to fulfill such demands due to their poor
financial condition. The complainant has further alleged that her father-in-