The Rajasthan High Court upheld a 22-year-old Sessions Court ruling stating that a sister-in-law inviting her brother’s wife to her home and arguing with her does not amount to dowry-related cruelty.
Justice Arun Monga was hearing a petition challenging the Sessions Court’s order, which had discharged the accused from the alleged offence.
The petitioner’s daughter was married to the accused’s brother. In 1998, she experienced stomach pain and was taken to the hospital, where she later died during treatment. The deceased’s father accused the sister-in-law of poisoning his daughter and filed a case against her, alleging dowry-related cruelty and attempted murder.
The Sessions Court had discharged the sister-in-law from the charges in 2002, a decision the petitioner later challenged.
The High Court reviewed the reasoning, which found no evidence of a strained relationship between the deceased and her husband or mother-in-law. It also observed that the only accusation against the sister-in-law was calling the deceased to her house and quarreling, which was insufficient to establish dowry cruelty.
As for the poisoning allegation, the Court noted that it was made almost two years after the incident without any supporting evidence.
Consequently, the Court upheld the Sessions Court’s findings and dismissed the petition.
