THE HON'BLE SMT. JUSTICE TIRUMALA DEVI EADA CRIMINAL PETITION Nos.11980 and 12020 of 2025

ORDER:

These petitions are filed seeking quashment of the C.C.No.4627 of 2024 on the file of learned III Additional Judicial Magistrate of First Class, Ranga Reddy District at L.B.Nagar, against the petitioners/accused Nos.2, 3, 5 and 6.

2. Heard Mr.M.Krishna Chaitanya, learned counsel for petitioners and Smt.Shalini Saxena, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent No.1-State.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioners submitted that the petitioners are the in-laws of the de facto complainant. He further submitted that the petitioners have never harassed the de facto complainant, and that there are no specific overt acts attributed to them, nor any specific allegations sufficient to attract the offences under Section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (for short, ‘IPC’), and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (for short, ‘DP Act’). He further submitted that the petitioners never had an occasion to reside with the de facto complainant, nor did they have any intention to harass her. He, therefore, prayed to quash the proceedings against the petitioners.

4. Learned Assistant Public Prosecutor submitted that there are specific overt acts alleged against the petitioners, disclosing that they used to demand additional dowry from the de facto complainant. It is specifically alleged that accused No.1 used to beat her. The allegations further indicate that the petitioners used to instigate and demand additional dowry from the de facto complainant, and that accused Nos.2 to 6 used to harass her both mentally and physically. She, therefore, prayed that the petition be dismissed.

5. Perused the record.

6. The contents of the complaint and the charge sheet disclose allegations against the petitioners under Section 498-A of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the DP Act. The list of witnesses indicates that LWs.4 and 5 are neighboring witnesses. The veracity of these witnesses needs to be tested during the course of the trial.

7. Considering the submissions of learned counsel for the petitioners, the presence of the petitioners before the trial court is dispensed with provided that they are represented by a counsel before the trial court on every date of hearing and shall appear before the trial court whenever their presence is required during the course of trial.

8. Accordingly, these Criminal Petitions are disposed of. Pending miscellaneous applications, if any, shall stand closed.

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JUSTICE TIRUMALA DEVI EADA Date: 16.09.2025 Lk