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

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ON THE 11 OF DECEMBER, 2025 MISC. CRIMINAL CASE No. 4580 of 2025 PRASHANT VISHWAKARMA Versus THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND OTHERS Appearance:

Shri Manish Datt Senior Advocate with Shri Ishan Datt, Advocate for petitioner.

Shri A.N. Gupta, GA for respondent No.1/State.

Shri Pramod Singh Tomar, Advocate for respondent No.2.

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

2023, the applicant seeks quashing of FIR No.0193 dated 30.5.2024 registered at Police Station, Suatla, Distt. Narsinghpur (MP), for the offence under Sec.294, 323, 506/34 and 498A of the IPC and Sec.3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

2. As per the facts discernible from the FIR (Annexure P/1) registered at Police Station Suatla, District Narsinghpur, the marriage of respondent No.2/complainant was solemnized with applicant– accused No.1, Prashant Vishwakarma, resident of Tikamgarh, in accordance with Hindu rites and rituals on 14.2.2024. At the time of marriage, her father provided dowry as per his capacity. It is alleged that after some time of the marriage, the husband–applicant Prashant Vishwakarma, along with his father Devendra Vishwakarma and mother Kasturi Vishwakarma, started demanding a four-wheeler in dowry, stating that the complainant would be kept only if such demand was fulfilled. On account of non- fulfilment of the said demand, the complainant was subjected to mental and physical cruelty. On 16.02.2024, the applicant-husband allegedly abused the complainant in connection with the demand of dowry and also assaulted her. It is further alleged that her mother-in-law took away all her ornaments and money. Thereafter, her father-in-law informed her father to take his daughter back. Subsequently, the complainant’s maternal uncle Khushiram, brother Nanhebhai, Jageshwar and sister Shweta came to Tikamgarh to bring her back, to whom she narrated the entire incident. Thereafter, she returned to her parental house at Sagar. On 22.02.2024, the father-in-law of the complainant called her father and asked them to come to Khaijra Temple, Sagar. The complainant also went there along with her family members, where her father-in-law, mother-in-law and Hemant, elder brother of the applicant, allegedly reiterated that they would not keep her unless a four-wheeler was given in dowry. While leaving, the in-laws allegedly warned her not to return without bringing a four-wheeler. It is further alleged that on 30.05.2024 at about 10:00 AM, the complainant contacted her husband on his mobile phone, who again demanded a four-wheeler, abused her and subjected her to mental and physical harassment.

3. It has been submitted by learned counsel for the applicant that prior to the lodging of the impugned FIR (Annexure P/1), the applicant had already lodged an FIR (Annexure P/2) bearing Crime No. 236/2024 under Sections 420, 120-B and 34 of the IPC at Police Station Kotwali, Tikamgarh on 02.03.2024 against respondent No.2/complainant and one Vivek Singh, with whom she was allegedly having an illicit relationship. It is further submitted that the marriage between the applicant and respondent No.2 was solemnized at Sagar on 14.02.2024, and respondent No.2 reached her matrimonial home on 15.02.2024. It is contended that even prior to the marriage, respondent No.2 was having an affair with Vivek Singh. Despite the said fact, respondent No.2 and her family members allegedly hatched a conspiracy and got her marriage solemnized with the applicant. It is further stated that respondent No.2 herself disclosed to the applicant that she was in a relationship with Vivek Singh, with whom she had travelled to various places and stayed in hotels. She also forwarded several photographs through WhatsApp on the applicant’s mobile phone and disclosed that she had been living in a live-in relationship with Vivek Singh for the past nine years. It is further contended that respondent No.2, in