SWARAN SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner Swaran Singh has approached this Court seeking grant of anticipatory bail in respect of a case registered vide FIR No.10 dated 17.1.2019 at Police Station Women Cell, District Ludhiana, Punjab under Sections 498-A and 406 of Indian Penal Code.

(2.) The FIR was lodged at the instance of petitioner's wife namely Sunita, wherein it has been alleged that she was married to Swaran Singh (petitioner) on 4.9.2019 and that her parents had given stridhan comprising of gold jewellery, expensive clothes, furniture, electrical articles etc. at the time of marriage, which was initially handed over at the time of marriage to the complainant's husband Swaran Singh, mother-in-law Sumitra Devi, 'deor' Dalwinder Singh (brother-in-law), 'mama sauhra' Tarlok Singh (husband's uncle). However, after marriage, when the complainant after reaching her matrimonial home, asked for the stridhan, the same was not handed over to her. It is alleged that complainant's husband and other members of his family were, however, not happy with the dowry articles and started taunting her and demanded more dowry and an amount of Rs. 2 lacs. It is further alleged that the complainant's husband is addicted to liquor and did not give any amount to her for necessary expenses and infact gave beatings to her on several occasions in connivance with other members of his family and ultimately she was thrown out of her matrimonial home. It is further stated therein that for some time she alongwith her husband had also resided separately at Mohali, but her husband kept on giving beatings to her being instigated by other members of his family.

(3.) The learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that a false FIR has been lodged by cooking allegations and that infact it is a case of matrimonial incompatibility between the petitioner and his wife, which has been given the colour of a criminal offence.