Couple unites after 9 years and 14 cases, HC drops charges
Times of India | 8 November 2024
Kolkata: Nine years of bitter marital acrimony, leading to 14 criminal cases, including attempted murder, kidnapping minors, assault with a revolver and several 498A IPC cases, along with multiple litigations in court, came to an end on Wednesday when a Sinthi couple told the Calcutta High Court that they were now living together.
The Calcutta High Court, accepting their submissions, cleared the only legal roadblock in the form of a pending court litigation. "It is admitted that the complainant is now residing with his wife, the accused no. 1, who was charge-sheeted. The dispute prima facie has been settled between them," Justice Shampa Dutt (Paul) wrote in her four-page order before dismissing a 2022 plea the husband filed against his wife's kin. The other cases were disposed earlier or quashed in courts.
Nine years ago, in 2015, the husband filed a case against the wife and mother-in-law, as well as 16 relatives and another acquaintance. He accused them of committing dacoity in his flat and kidnapping his two minor children. It was claimed that he was assaulted with a revolver. The husband accused the wife of initiating 13 cases under Section 498A (cruelty or harassment towards a married woman by her husband or his relatives) of the IPC. He further alleged that the wife was having a relationship with another person.
Police probed the allegations and submitted a charge sheet in 2016 against the two persons under Sections 341 (wrongfully restraining a person), 323 (causing harm), and 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the IPC, discharging 18 people whose names were not mentioned in the FIR, according to the prosecution.
Against the case filed by the husband, the wife and his mother-in-law approached the high court in 2017, and the legal proceedings against them were quashed.
After six years, in 2022, the husband approached the court again, demanding a further probe against the 18 people who were discharged at the time of charge sheet filing. When that case was rejected, he approached the high court. This case was being heard now.
On whether there was any abuse of law, the HC said: "From the materials on record and the case diary including the medical report, this court finds that the investigation has no irregularity or illegality and there has been a fair investigation. Thus, there has been no abuse of the process of law."
"As such, the dispute between the defacto complainant and the two charge-sheeted accused does not remain as the proceedings against them have been quashed and there being no materials on record against the other accused persons, this court finds no reason to interfere with the order under revision," Justice Dutt (Paul) stated.