In a significant ruling, the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday acquitted three members of a family in a dowry death and murder case. The court also directed the authorities to take disciplinary action against the police officers involved for conducting a faulty investigation and registering a false case against the family.
Case Background
According to defence lawyer Ramesh Chand Goyal, his clients—Robin Singh (40), his father Jasvir Singh (70), and his mother Veermati (65), all residents of Budina Kalan village under Titavi police station—were arrested following the death of Robin's wife, Pinki, in 2013. Pinki's father, Madan Pal Singh, lodged a complaint alleging that his daughter was murdered over dowry demands on May 23, 2013. A case under relevant sections of the law was registered, and the accused were arrested. The police filed a chargesheet in court under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Dowry Prohibition Act.
Court's Observations
However, after examining witness testimonies and the evidence presented, the court found the allegations unsubstantiated and acquitted all three accused. A medical evaluation later revealed that Pinki had actually died of illness. In its order, the court observed that in many dowry death cases, police tend to arrest and jail the accused after an FIR is filed without conducting a fair and impartial investigation. The court remarked that such imprisonment causes severe social stigma and mental trauma to the accused and their families, adding that even after securing bail, society continues to view them with suspicion.
The court also criticised the police for filing a chargesheet merely because an FIR under Section 304B (dowry death) of IPC was registered, without properly verifying the truthfulness of the allegations. Referring to Paragraph 107 of the Police Regulations, the court reminded law enforcement authorities that investigators are expected to seek the truth rather than falsely implicate people.
Directions Issued
The court directed the Muzaffarnagar SSP to sensitize all police stations regarding fair investigation practices and to ensure the accountability of supervisory officers. It also ordered that the names and tenures of supervisory officers, including the ASP and circle officers, be clearly mentioned in all prosecution documents, case diaries, and chargesheets. The court concluded that departmental and legal actions are necessary against the then-probing officers, then COs Karamveer Singh and Satyaprakash Sharma, and the then-supervisory officer SP (Rural) Rakesh Kumar Jauli. Copies of the order have been sent to senior officials for immediate action.
