12 March,2009 07:31 AM IST | | Charul Shah
In a bizarre incident, Dr Ranjana Srivastav filed a case against her ex-husband Dr Rajendra Srivastav and her in-laws for atrocity under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Ranjana, who belongs to the scheduled caste, filed a case against them for demanding dowry.
Rajendra and Ranjana fell in love while studying Homeopathy in Bhopal. The couple who married in March 1991 separated in December 2001.
In her complaint filed with the Kurla police station on April 8, 2008, Ranjana alleged that Rajendra and his relatives went to her father's house on August 21, 2006 and demanded Rs 2 lakh, a car and gold jewellery.
Ranjana said Rajendra assaulted her when her family refused to give into their demands. Rajendra's family was arrested, but the Bombay High Court granted them anticipatory bail application, last week.
Arm-twisting
While hearing the case, justice V M Kanade observed, "It is difficult to imagine that a demand of dowry was made 15 years after marriage and five years after separation. In my view, this is arm-twisting by Ranjana to have her husband back."
On the allegations of atrocity, the court observed, "Prima facie , provisions of Atrocities Act and Protection of Civil Rights Act cannot be made applicable in this case because the complainant's caste and her husband's caste are the same." Rajendra has moved the anticipatory nail application. The case will be heard on Thursday.
