IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH AT JABALPUR BEFORE HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE B. P. SHARMA

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ON THE 8 OF JANUARY, 2026 MISC. CRIMINAL CASE No. 18267 of 2025 SH.YASWARDHAN MISHRA AND OTHERS Versus THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND OTHERS Appearance:

Shri Neeraj Kumar Garg - Advocate for the petitioners. Shri Ankit SaXEna, Advocate for the respondent No.2.

Shri Deepak Tiwari - PL for respondent/State.

ORDER By way of the present petition filed under Section 528 of the BNSS

2023, the applicant seeks quashing of FIR (Annexure P/1) dated 7.7.2024 registered as Crime No.0194/2024, at Police Station, Mahila Thana, Bhopal (MP) for the offences under Sec.498A/34 of the IPC and Sec.3/4 of Dowry Prohibition Act and all consequential proceedings arising therefrom. 2. As per the facts discernible from the FIR (Annexure P/1), the marriage of the complainant, Anjali Mishra, with petitioner No. 1, Yashwardhan Mishra, was fixed through the matrimonial website Jeevansathi.com. With the consent of the family members of both the parties, the marriage was solemnized on 06.12.2020 at Bhopal. At the time of marriage, as per the demand of the family members of petitioner No. 1, the father of the complainant gave cash amounting to Rs3,00,000/-, along with a gold chain and a ring, as gifts. It is further stated that her father spent approximately Rs.25,00,000/- on the marriage. Soon after the marriage, the complainant was subjected to taunts by her mother-in-law, father-in-law, and brother-in-law, Harshwardhan Mishra, on the ground that the gold ornaments given were less in weight and that the promised jewellery had not been fully provided. When the complainant informed her husband about the same, petitioner No. 1 stated that since she was a working woman, she should hand over her entire salary to him, after which no complaints would be made. It is further alleged that the complainant was made to bear the expenses of the parlour during the wedding reception, and her parents were compelled to stay in a hotel. When she questioned her in-laws regarding this conduct, they stated that the marriage had not taken place as per their wishes and that they were unhappy with it. Her mother-inlaw kept the jewellery with her and instructed the complainant to inform her parents to give more gifts. When the complainant attempted to convey this to her parents, her husband threatened to expel her from the matrimonial home. The in-laws allegedly used abusive language against her parents and instigated her husband to take her salary, to bear the expenses of the knee operation of her mother-in-law, and to purchase a laptop for him.

3. It is stated that household expenses were regularly met from her salary. In July 2021, when the complainant came to Bhopal for her brother’s marriage, her in-laws demanded gold ornaments. Consequently, her parents purchased a gold chain and ring and gifted the same to her husband. However, her mother-in-law taunted that nothing had been given to them, whereupon the complainant gave Rs.10,000/- each to her father-in-law and mother-in-law. They allegedly threw the envelopes and insulted her by saying that they had married their son into a family of beggars. In August 2021, after the complainant and her husband started residing at Bengaluru, petitioner No. 1 allegedly used to speak on the mobile phone for hours and thereafter quarrel with her without any reason. He pressurized her to purchase Tanishq brand earrings and bangles, which she did. The demands did not stop thereafter, and the accused persons started demanding a car. In November 2021, at the time of the marriage of her sister-in-law (nanand), the in-laws asked the complainant to arrange new jewellery for herself, stating that they would not give her any. Upon informing her parents, the jewellery was arranged. She further alleges that she paid Rs.1,25,000/- towards the purchase of a new car. It is also alleged that her father-in-law was addicted to alcohol and used to abuse her under its influe