New Delhi, March 03: In a rap to people blinded by outdated traditions, the Delhi high court directed a man and his parents to do community service for a year and teach blind students as punishment for demanding dowry, and forcing the bride-to-be to end her life.
Justice Hima Kohli directed Amit Sharma (name changed) and his parents to teach blind students at a school once a week for an hour.
According to prosecution, Amit and Riya were to get married on January 20, 2007, but the boy’s parents demanded dowry prior the wedding. The girl could not bear this and she committed suicide on December 6, 2006, the court was told.
Soon after, a FIR was registered against Amit based on a complaint by Riya’s mother who alleged her daughter committed suicide because of the boy’s increasing demand for dowry.
Police slapped charges of abetment to suicide, criminal breach of trust and common intention of the Indian Penal Code on the fiance and his parents.
Now, after four years, Amit approached the high court seeking quashing of the complaint and said that a settlement was already done between the two families.
The court agreed to quash the FIR but directed all the accused to do community service and also slapped a fine of Rs1 lakh, half of which will go to the girl’s mother and the rest would be donated to a blind school.
Earlier this week, the court gave a similar punishment to two youths, who were trained to be pilots, for picking up a fight with a roadside eatery cook and firing in the air.
The duo were asked to teach at a blind school for four hours in a week for a year.
—Agencies