IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

203 Date of decision: 13.02.2026 AARTI PETITIONER VERSUS UT OF CHANDIGARH RESPONDENT CORAM: HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE SHALINI SINGH NAGPAL Present: Mr. Dilpreet Singh Gandhi, Advocate and Ms. Jashan Chopra, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Manish Bansal, Addl. P.P. U.T., Chandigarh ***

Shalini Singh Nagpal, J. (Oral)

1. Petitioner seeks anticipatory bail in case vide FIR No.54 dated 23.06.2025 under Section 80 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (B.N.S.), 2023, Police Station North, Chandigarh, District Chandigarh. This is the first petition for anticipatory bail.

2. On 13.11.2025, following order was passed. :-

“1. Apprehending their arrest, the petitioner(s) have filed the instant petition(s) under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Surakha Sanhita, 2023 seeking anticipatory bail in case FIR No.54 dated 23.06.2025 registered under Section 80 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 at Police Station North, Chandigarh.

2. Present FIR was registered against the petitioners on the complaint of Shri Ram Verma (father of deceased Poonam) stating therein that he had four children. On 28.4.2024, he performed the marriage of his second daughter Poonam with co-accused-Ajay as per Hindu rites and ceremonies. Ajay used to do a private work at Chandigarh. He along with his parents was residing in servant quarter of Kothi No.305, Sector 10, Chandigarh. After marriage, his daughter stayed with her husband-Ajay and his family members. She used to inform him on telephone that her husband and his family members were not happy with the dowry given in the marriage. They used to taunt her and used to pressurize her for bringing more dowry. On 21.6.2025, in the morning a telephonic conversation took place between complainant and deceased-Poonam wherein she explicitly informed him that the accused persons were subjecting her to harassment and she also requested her father i.e. complainant to take her back from her matrimonial home otherwise she will come by train to ensure her safety. At about 11.30 AM, she wrote a suicide note and sent the same to his elder daughter-Vandana via Whatsapp, who resides at Partapgarh. In her suicide note, deceased-Poonam specifically and unequivocally held her in-laws responsible for her death and specifically stated that her in-laws have tortured her and forced her to commit suicide.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner(s) submitted that the petitioner(s), who are sisters-in-law of the deceased, are innocent and have been falsely implicated in the present case. He submitted that in the FIR there are no specific allegations either of harassment or instigation/abetment against the petitioners. He further submitted that allegations levelled against the petitioners are vague and general in nature and they have been nominated merely being members of the in-laws' family of the deceased and no offence under Section 80 of the BNS, 2023 is made out against the petitioners. He further submitted that the deceased/victim was having some illicit and extra-marital relationship with one person of her parental village and discovery of this fact led to frequent quarrels and serious matrimonial discord between the deceased and her husband i.e. brother of the petitioners, and the said fact was also in the knowledge of family of deceased and to resolve this dispute even several Panchayats were also convened between both the families. He further submitted that the petitioner (Aarti) is residing separately since 16.05.2023 in her matrimonial home at Ranveer Nagar, District Amethi, Uttar Pradesh (approximately at a distance of nearly 2000 kms) and currently engaged in pursuing her academic qualifications through various courses in State of Uttar Pradesh. As such, she remains considerably occupied with both her personal and academic obligations and thus the petitioner has no role to play in the alleged offence. He further submitted that the petitioners are not involved in any other case and are ready and wi