A court said, ‘A case of dowry, whether given or taken is equal crime, should be trialed against the bride’s parents like the groom’s parents. It is the only way to eradicate this social evil. Anti dowry law has been reduced to paper only as the bride’s family itself is engaged in giving dowry. It was said by session judge Kamini La in her decision in Rohini court. She said dowry is two way process where one gives and another takes it. If there is no body to give it how can any body take it. To extinguish this social vice both the parties are equally responsible so that both would be punished. It is wrong to book groom’s family under anti dowry law and no case against bride’s family. It is really painful that bride’s family itself doesn’t make this law effective. Now it is an appropriate time to implement this law forcefully.
The judge said, ‘People demand dowry shamelessly. It is given and taken as a community obligation. No body should be spared to make any excuse in the name of societal requirement. Information should be given to concerned officer if the costly gifts are given to relatives so that tax would be imposed on these gifts. It is also necessary that a man who gives dowry should be probed for his source of income.’
Kamini La said it by rejecting the appeal of a lady. According to the lady she was married on 21st April, 2008. Before solemnizing the marriage the groom’s father demanded dowry and even after marriage he insisted on giving dowry that was fulfilled. After that the lady lodged a complaint with the police against her husband for demanding dowry. Against it the husband also filed an application in the court and said his wife herself confessed that the dowry demand was fulfilled so that a lawsuit would be registered against her under anti dowry act, section 3. The magistrate ordered to probe the suit on the basis of the complaint. The lady challenged this order in additional Session Judge Court.
Giving the example of the judgment of High Court judge, SN Dhingra in one indictment, Judge Kamini La said when a case of dowry comes in the court it should be investigated from every angle. In this way interference in the magistrate order is illogical and Kamini La dismissed the application of the lady. The Judge also said that problems of domestic violence and dowry were increasing day by day. These states of affairs are just adding load on the judiciary. Nowadays it is necessary to segregate the false litigations.