Delhi court acquits man of dowry death, cruelty charges

New Delhi, More than 12 years after a man was booked for the alleged dowry death of his wife, a court here has acquitted him, saying the prosecution has failed to provide cogent or convincing evidence to prove his guilt.
Additional Sessions Judge Sharad Gupta was hearing a case against Satender Gautam, who was accused of harassing and beating up his wife Poonam for dowry, because of which she committed suicide by consuming poison in November 2011.
Taking note of the evidence before it, including the testimonies of the deceased’s parents, the court said the prosecution was unable to prove that the woman was subjected to cruelty or harassed for dowry.
“This is especially more so when apparently, her family members were not even aware of the marriage of the deceased with the accused,” it said in a recent order.
It noted the prosecution’s version of a quarrel between the woman and the accused the day before her death.
However, the deceased’s friend, Sneha, who testified about the quarrel, was not a “sterling witness” as she had “flip-flopped and changed her stance” during the proceedings, the court said.
“There is nothing on record to suggest that the actions of the accused instigated deceased Poonam to take her life or that he conspired with others to ensure that the person committed suicide or any act of the accused or omission instigated the deceased, resulting in the suicide,” the judge said.
“Fights between husband and wife are a normal part of domestic wear and tear and are a part of everyday life. It could not be said that the accused, by quarrelling with the deceased, had intended to abet the suicide,” he added.
The court said as the prosecution has failed to discharge the burden of proving the accused’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt by providing cogent or convincing evidence, the latter has to be exonerated.
“There is a long distance between may be true and must be true. It is the cardinal principle of criminal jurisprudence that an accused is presumed to be innocent,” the court said, acquitting the man.
The Najafgarh police station here had registered an FIR against the man in February 2012.
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