Dowry harassment: SC modifies previous order, protects anticipatory bail provision
What's the story
The Supreme Court today modified its previous order that had provided for setting up of a committee to deal with complaints of dowry harassment.
"We have protected pre-arrest or anticipatory bail provision in dowry harassment cases," said a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra.
The apex court said there's no scope for courts for constitutionally filling up gaps in the penal law.
Information
Petitions seek revisiting of judgment reducing anti-dowry law's severity
The Supreme Court had on April 23 reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas seeking revisiting of a judgment that had reduced the severity of the anti-dowry law on the offense of subjecting a married woman to cruelty by spouse and in-laws.
Details
SC had voiced concern over abuse of Section 498 A
"There should be gender justice for women as dowry has a chilling effect on marriage on the one hand. On the other hand, there is right to life and personal liberty of the man," the bench had said while reserving its verdict.
The SC in July last year had voiced concern over "abuse" of Section 498 A (subjecting a married woman to cruelty).
Dowry harrasment
Plea, filed by NGO, sought sharpness in Section 498 A
A two-judge bench of SC in Jul'17 passed a slew of directions, including that no arrest should "normally be effected" without verifying allegations as violation of human rights of innocents couldn't be brushed aside.
The bench was hearing a plea filed by an NGO 'Nyayadhar', an organization formed by a group of women advocates of Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, seeking sharpness in Section 498 A.