Dowry death charge: Delhi court acquits husband, in-laws

New Delhi: A court here has acquitted a man, his father and two brothers from the charges of cruelty and causing dowry death, saying there were "material inconsistencies" in the testimonies of prosecution witnesses. Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Pahuja was hearing the case against Gaurav, his father Sewak Ram and brothers -- Sugar Shri and Saurav -- who were accused of harassing the deceased, Neetu, for dowry, because of which she committed suicide by hanging in February 2018.

According to the prosecution, the couple got married in 2016, following which Gaurav and his family members used to demand dowry and beat Neetu. Two months after she gave birth to a girl, the harassment increased to such an extent that she took the extreme step. In a recent order, the court noted that the prosecution had relied on the testimonies of the deceased's mother and minor brother but discrepancies, contradictions and vague allegations marred their depositions.