Thane court acquits woman's husband, 4 others in case of cruelty against her

A Thane court has acquitted a man and four of his other family members accused of subjecting his wife to cruelty noting the woman resiled and did not support her own version reported news agency PTIAdditional Sessions Judge Amit M Shete in the order passed on April 3 gave benefit of doubt to the accused and held the prosecution has failed to prove the charges against all of them and hence they need to be acquitted reported PTIA copy of the order was made available on MondayThose acquitted include the womans 34yearold husband her inlaws sisterinlaw and a brotherinlaw who is an Army manThey were charged under various Indian Penal Code sections including 498A cruelty 313 causing miscarriage without womans consent 406 criminal breach of trust 323 voluntarily causing hurt 504 intentional insult 506 criminal intimidation and 34 common intentionThe prosecutor told the Thane court that the woman got married on August 3 2013Her husband and inlaws then started harassing her mentally and physically over household work dowry demand of Rs 4 lakh and other miscellaneous reasons reported PTIThe accused used to keep her starving and torture her by assaulting and threatening herWhile the informant victim was pregnant her husband also assaulted her in the stomach due to which she suffered a miscarriage the prosecution allegedIn his order the judge said The informant resiled and not supported her own version The complaint remained unprovenThe panchanamas only go to show the arrest of the accused and nothing else the court notedOn perusal of the medical certificate it transpires that the informant had sustained no external injuries it saidThe medical examination of the informant revealed no pregnancy It is specifically mentioned in the certificate that there was no sign of pregnancy The informant missed the MC periods and therefore she might have carried the impression of pregnancy however the certificate is very clear and without any doubt the informant was not carrying a pregnancy the Thane court said reported PTIThus the serious charge of causing miscarriage which is a cognisable offence triable by the court stands disproved the judge said reported PTIThe court also noted that the womans brotherinlaw who is an Army person is said to have been posted in Jammu and Kashmir and therefore he remained absent during the hearingThe law is settled if there is an acquittal order it can be extended to the absent accused the court saidWith inputs from PTI