Delhi court acquits man and parents in dowry death case; prosecution fails to prove cruelty or harassment

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has acquitted a man and his parents in a dowry death case, observing that the prosecution failed to prove allegations of cruelty or dowry harassment against them.Additional Sessions Judge Deepak Wason acquitted Kartik Sharma, his father Ravi Dutt Sharma, and his mother Veena Sharma in connection with the death of Shivali Sharma, who died by suicide in March 2023.The accused were on trial under Sections 498A (cruelty by husband or relatives) and 304B (dowry death) of the IPC, according to news agency PTI.In its April 1 order, the court said, “There is nothing on record to establish the culpability of the accused persons in the commission of the offences charged against them.

The prosecution has failed to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.”While noting that the death was unnatural and occurred within seven years of marriage, the court held that the essential ingredients of dowry death — particularly evidence of harassment linked to dowry demands — were not established.According to the prosecution, the deceased’s family had alleged that she was subjected to harassment and repeated dowry demands, including cash and a vehicle, which allegedly led her to take the extreme step.

The FIR was registered based on statements given by her parents before an executive magistrate.However, during the trial, key prosecution witnesses — including the deceased’s mother, father, brother, uncle and grandmother — did not support these allegations in court.They stated that Shivali was living a “peaceful and happy” married life and denied any dowry demand or harassment by the accused.The witnesses also attributed her death to depression arising from her child’s serious medical condition.The court noted that the testimonies of close relatives, considered the most material witnesses, did not indicate any cruelty or dowry-related harassment “soon before her death,” a key requirement to establish an offence under Section 304B IPC.Medical evidence confirmed that the cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging.Granting the benefit of the doubt, the court said this alone was insufficient to hold the accused guilty in the absence of corroborative evidence of cruelty.