Territorial jurisdiction is a crucial factor in determining the authority of the police to investigate allegations, and lack of jurisdiction can lead to the quashing of FIR and subsequent proceedings.

G. S. Chahal, J.

1. Case, First Information Report No.62 dated 5.4.1988 has been registered at Police Station, Molana, District Ambala on the basis of a complaint made by Sukhwinder Kaur. According to the allegations made in the complaint, respondent-2 Sukhwinder Kaur was married to Jagjit Singh on 5.11.1986 at Village Rajoli, District Ambala: The husband and his other relatives were not happy with the dowry given in marriage. They taunted her time and again on the basis, that mother of the complainant had not given a scooter, motor-cycle or a colour TV. They also gave out threats that she should bring the said articles from her parents house or drown herself in a well, The complainant was then brought to her parents house by her nephew Jasbir Singh. In August 1987, complainants husband, along with his elder brother and Master Kuldip Singh, visited her parents house and assured her mother that there would be no complaint thereafter. She then accompanied her husband. She also took Rs.2,000.00 with her. This amount was, however, snatched by her mother in-law, saying that it was a paltry sum of which she should feel ashamed. She also removed her gold bangles and a chain. When she complained of this fact to her husband, he and Master Kuldip Singh rebuked her with foul language and pulled her from her long hair and remarked, why she did not leave the house. She then returned to her parents village Rajouli. Some respectables then visited her husband and his relatives, but they could not pacify them. She was always teased by her husband and his relatives.

2. In this criminal miscellaneous, the petitioners have sought the quashing of the impugned F. I. R. Harbans Singh and Ravinder Singh petitioners are the brothers; Smt. Prem Kaur is the mother; while Surinder Kaur and Ravinder Kaur are the brothers wives of Jagjit Singh.

3. The allegations contained in the impugned F. I. R. relate to taunting by the present petitioners for her not bringing a scooter, motorcycle or a colour TV. The only allegation against the mother-in-law is regarding removing of the ornaments from her person. All this is stated to have happened in her in-laws house at Shahbad Markanda, District Kurukshetra. There are no specific remarks attributed to each of the present petitioners, but, assuming that these remarks were made, they amount to harassment and cruelly which occurred at Shahbad Markanda in Kurukshetra. The Police at Ambala has no power to investigate the allegation for want of territorial jurisdiction. On the basis of lack of jurisdiction, the impugned F. I. R. and the subsequent proceedings qua the petitioners are hereby quashed. Petition allowed.