ORDER

Dated this the 31^st day of January, 2026 The petitioners are the accused persons involved in C.C No. 421 of

2025 on the file of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I, Palakkad, arising out of Crime No. 838 of 2024 of Kuzhalmannam police station. The offence alleged against the petitioners are under Section 498A r/w 34 of the IPC .

2. The prosecution case is that the 1^st accused, being the husband of the defacto complainant and the other accused persons being his relatives subjected her to cruelty both physically and mentally on the ground of dowry and thereby they are alleged to have committed the aforesaid offences.

3. According to the learned counsel for the petitioners, even if the entire allegations levelled against the petitioners are believed as such, the same does not constituted the offence punishable under Section 498A and therefore they prayed for quashing all further proceedings against the petitioners.

4. Though notice was served on the 3^rd respondent/defacto complainant, she did not turn up.

5. The petition was strongly opposed by the learned Public Prosecutor.

6. On a perusal of the FI statement, it can be seen that though several allegations are raised agai