The court emphasized the need for specific accusations in the FIR to attract further investigation and highlighted the power of the investigating agency to conduct investigation based on the allegations in the FIR.

ORDER :

This Criminal Petition, under Section 482 Cr.P.C., has been filed on behalf of the petitioners/A-1 to A-5 to quash the proceedings in Crime No.83 of 2022 of Hindupur Police Station, Anantapur District.

2. A case has been registered against the petitioners for the offences punishable under Sections 498-A, 406, 420, 409, 506 read with 34 IPC and 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

3. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that the de facto complainant is resident of Ananthapuramu Town and he is a retired Public Servant in Revenue Department. He has two daughters. The elder daughter (hereinafter referred to, as ‘the deceased’) completed her B. Tech in Karunya Institute of Science & Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu State and thereafter she got selected as Assistant Manager in Indian Overseas Bank. She worked in several places and got promoted as Manager and was working in Hindupur Branch. During her studies, she was in contact with A1 and out of her love and affection, with the consent of complainant, her marriage was solemnized with A-1 on 24.11.2016 in Tirupathi. During that period, the deceased was working as Assistant Manager in Indian Overseas Bank at Dharmavaram. Thereafter, their family got shifted from Dharmavaram to Hindupur and as A1 was working in MANHATTAN Company, Himayath Nagar, Hyderabad, he used to travel from Hyderabad to Hindupur frequently. During the year 2015, the deceased and the complainant purchased a house bearing No.7/200 in Ananthapuramu Town for a valuable consideration of Rs.66,00,000/-, out of which, complainant invested an amount of Rs.36,00,000/- and a loan of Rs.30,00,000/- was obtained in the name of deceased. During that relevant period, the deceased and A1 led happy marital life. A2 to A4 also resided along with A1 and the deceased. Later, all of them expressed their displeasure as the deceased did not get any amounts towards dowry, and they harassed her stating that their son might have got huge amounts out of dowry. Due to the said marriage, they lost that opportunity and demanded the deceased to get share of the property as there are no male issues to the complainant. Since there was no alternative, the de facto complainant accepted the marriage of the deceased with A1 and out of demand made by A1, the complainant purchased Honda City Car bearing No.AP02 CF 0019 worth of Rs.17,00,000/-, for which, the deceased obtained a loan of Rs.9,00,000/- from Indian Overseas Bank and the complainant paid Rs.8,00,000/-. On 04.08.2020, as per the demand of A1 to A4, gold worth 16 tulas was pledged with A-5 and loan of Rs.5,00,000/- was obtained and the same was handed to A-1. Thereafter, the deceased was harassed by A1 to A4 and when the same was informed to the wife of complainant, she consoled her several times and also transferred an amount of Rs.12,00,000/- on 17.12.2020.

It is further alleged that the deceased was affected with Covid-19 and during that relevant period, A1 and their family members did not take care of the deceased. The complainant spent huge amounts towards her treatment, and in spite of his best efforts, the deceased lost her breath on 04.03.2021. It is submitted that A1 did not come forward to perform the obsequies and thereafter he was found absconding. The FIR also shows that entire articles were taken away by A1.

4. It is further stated that after demise of the deceased, without consent of the defacto complainant, A-1, in connivance with A-5, got released the entire jewellery and converted the same for his personal use. When the complainant requested A5 for release of gold, he stated that A1 had taken away the jewellery. The complainant made several efforts for return of gold jewellery, for which, A1 to A4 refused to pay any amount and further threatened the complainant with dire consequences. It is also alleged that A1 to A4 demanded an additional dowry and harassed the deceased for a sum of Rs.12,00,000/-. The complainant further alleged that in connivance with A5, A1 to A