THE HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE JUVVADI SRIDEVI CRIMINAL PETITION No.5775 of 2023

O R D E R

This Criminal Petition is filed by the petitioners-accused Nos.4 to 6 seeking to quash the criminal proceedings against them in C.C.No.1096 of 2022 on the file of the learned Judicial First Class Magistrate at Sircilla. The offences alleged against the petitioners are under Sections 498-A read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (for short ‘IPC’) and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act (for short ‘the Act’).

02. Heard Sri T.Surya Satish, learned counsel for the petitioners-accused and Smt.S.Madhavi, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor for the State-respondent No.1 as well as Sri Nambi Krishna, learned counsel for the unofficial respondent No.2. Perused the record.

03. In brief, the case of the prosecution is that the marriage between the accused No.1 and the respondent No.2 was solemnized on 29.06.2022, and they lived together happily for about one month. Thereafter, the accused Nos.1 to 6 allegedly subjected the respondent No.2 to physical and mental harassment by demanding additional dowry. It is further alleged that, in a panchayat convened by the elders, the accused assured that they w