Saturday, October 30, 2010

Dowry & RTI

Here is good news for ‘dowry’ seekers. The Delhi high court has come out with a ruling that ‘giving dowry under the fear that the proposed marriage may be called off, is not an offence’! The high court quashed the criminal proceedings against the bride and her family after they convinced the court that the dowry was given under pressure as the bride groom’s father had threatened to cancel the marriage. The court felt that bride’s parents were confronted with the unenviable situation either to concede to the dowry demand or face the loss of honor of their family in the society. They can not be faulted for giving dowry as they were victims of the circumstances.

By this judgment, court has proved that it does not consider ‘dowry’ as an offence and can be accepted/taken in the guise of threat or pressure. This should pave way for the disposal to several dowry harassment cases pending in the courts. All that the bridegroom & their family have to do is to ask the bride’s parents to concede in the court that they have done it under fear and honor of the family-‘Ghar ki Izzat’. And, hurray, the case shall be quashed. Now if you are one of the prospective dowry seekers, just ask the bride party of dire consequences because it is no more offence to receive dowry under threat even if they are giving it on their own. This threat will save the skin for any future backlash.

In another case filed before a metropolitan magistrate in Delhi, one RTI (Right to Information) activist has been accused of ‘domestic violence’ by his wife and teenaged daughter. This activist was chosen as the best ‘Citizen’ by a media group!  There are numerous such activists and awareness speakers spearheading their respective campaign on various social issues for a cause but their family life is shattered for some or the other reason including ‘preaching one thing, practicing the other’. These acts of writing, preaching, spearheading for the sake of name and fame only and not practiced by respective people in their personal life exposes them of their dual personality.

 While talking of justice, here is parting tailpiece with no comments-
Learned and highly religious Chief Minister of Karnataka Mr. B. S. Yeddyurappa has advised people to ‘chop the hands’ of officials who demand bribe to extend benefits of government schemes to the entitled family!


 

16 comments:

  1. in such a verdict, what's the difference between the said dowry case and say an underground gangster extracting protection money from say a builder, to safeguard his business interests?

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  2. Kind of confusing. When I read the judgement, it is more about letting go off the bride's side for succumbing to dowry demands. The bridegroom is exempted???

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  3. Sir, I just can't understand you here. If the case, that you refer to, was about the bride's party giving dowry and they pleaded that the groom's party threatened them with the fear of cancelling the marriage, doesn't it become a case of groom's party demanding dowry forcibly? In that case, do you think the groom's party threatening is justified???
    You said that from now on, if the groom's family makes the bride's family to concede in court that they did it under pressure, the dowry case would be over. Do you really think, being bride's family and being the one who brings the case in court they would agree to it? Whatever you have said just looks plain rubbish for me!!!

    http://aashuinenglish.blogspot.com

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  4. Dear Anshuman,
    Thanks for visiting my post. It is based on a news report as per which the allegations in the complaint made by the petitioner (bride), the demand for dowry was made by the father of respondent (bridegroom) at the time of engagement ceremony when he allegedly asked the father of the girl to concede to his demands for dowry failing which he would call of the marriage.

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  5. If the petitioner was the bride herself, then why the criminal proceedings were there against them and why they had to convince the court that their act of giving dowry was under threat? And, how an act done under threat can be justified by our court, shouldn't they take action against those who threat and force for something criminal??? The whole cse looks ridiculous to me!

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  6. What's wrong with some of the Indian parents?? Cant they see the obvious?? Why spend money on as dowry while that money can be spent as education for their girl, or can give the same money to their daughter for some business or something so that she becomes financial independent(I understand sometimes its hard to get jobs in this competitive world)?
    How can the parents be sure that if they give dowry to such dominant and ruthless people, their daughter will be happy for her entire life?? They are not only making themselves look vulnurable but also their daughter's future!!!!

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  7. Like Nona, even i feel that the court would only drop the case against the bride's side since both giving and taking dowry are offences. Does the judgement clearly say that it would let the 'asking' party go scot-free too?

    I do agree about the preaching and practising activists, though. RTI is the best thing that could have happened to us.

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  8. ''as the bride groom’s father had threatened to cancel the marriage''.If this threat was true and not simply an argument, I sincerely think that it was nice for the bride that the marriage was canceled.

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  9. ''as the bride groom’s father had threatened to cancel the marriage''.If this threat was true and not simply an argument, I sincerely think that it would have been nice for the bride that the marriage was canceled.

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  10. Now anybody an get away by demanding the dowry. This is not fair.

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  11. For me it sounds like legalization of dowry seeking. Not sure where we are heading to.

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  12. Giving as well as taking dowry should be a crime under Indian law...both should get punished with a stringent punishment.

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  13. Any number of laws can not change our mind set.Has the common man got any trust in the judiciary, police, neta?

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  14. If am right, its letting the bride's family and not the groom's family who asked the bride right? In that case, it does sound like what shrinidi said in his comment.

    About the RTI activis, well, have we not seen in the life of Gandhiji too? His own son's life went astray when the father was leading the country?

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  15. Most of the dowry systems in india now a days are self proclaimed, but i want to say you one thing, dowry system is slowly declining because for todays youngsters getting girl itself is a major headache the girl boy ratio is almost 780:1000 according to latest sensus, a day might come guys pay dowry for gals :) India is shining :) :)

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  16. While the case seems confusing and centrally flawed, the central idea needs urgent attention. Dowry has only one cure: A firm resolve from youth.. people like us..both the Sexes.. that we wont indulge in this practice. Till then, change wont happen.

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