Court acquits man of dowry death, cruelty charges

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New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) A Delhi court has acquitted a man in the dowry death case of his wife and said "vague and general" allegations without specific evidence were not sufficient to convict an accused.

Additional sessions judge Twinkle Wadhwa was hearing the case against Monish alias Noor Mohammad, against whom the Bhajanpura Police Station registered an FIR under IPC Sections 304 B (dowry death) and 498 A (cruelty to a married woman).

"To convict an accused, the allegations must be specific and detailed. Vague or general acquisition lacks the substance needed to establish the ingredients of an offence. Vague and general allegations without specific evidence are not sufficient to convict an accused," the court said.

According to the prosecution, the wife died by suicide on May 9 last year due to torture meted out to her by the man over dowry.

In an order on January 31, the court said the woman's parents and uncles retracted from their statements on harassment and cruelty by the accused.

On the statements of the two neighbours over noises of quarrelling being heard from the accused’s house, the court said the duo could not state the reasons for the same.

The family members of the deceased, said the court, turned hostile.

"When public witnesses become hostile, the primary evidence is weakened or nullified. Corroborating evidence alone, without strong direct evidence, may not meet the legal threshold of proof beyond a reasonable doubt," it said.

It was observed when witnesses turn hostile, courts have scrutinise its reasons and assess whether the corroborating evidence was sufficient to convict the accused.

"If the corroborating evidence does not conclusively point towards the guilt of the accused or only provides circumstantial support, it cannot form the basis of conviction," it added. PTI MNR AMK