Bridegroom's family asks for dowry, lands behind bars

A woman cancelled her wedding and approached police over a dowry demand of Rs 5 lakh cash and a diesel car.

Her family was also made to give Rs 1.80 lakh in cash on the day of engagement. The groom and his parents have been arrested.

The woman’s marriage had been fixed with Ravindra Vajpayee who hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district.

The engagement ceremony was held at Ravindra’s house in south-west Delhi’s Sagarpur in October 2014 and they were scheduled to get married on February 21.

However, on Febraury 1, Ravindra’s family informed the bride’s uncle that the wedding would only go ahead as planned if they gave the cash and a car worth Rs 7 lakh.
At first, her family tried for a compromise. “However, Ravindra’s family insisted on cancelling the wedding if the dowry demand was not fulfiled. They also threatened to frame the woman’s family members in a false case,” said a police officer.

The woman’s family approached police on March 11 on which a case under Dowry Prohibition Act was registered on Thursday. It is alleged that Ravindra’s family had initially demanded a dowry of Rs 2 lakh and the woman’s family had agreed to it.

In October 2014, her family gave Rs 1.80 lakh in cash and a blank cheque for the remaining Rs 20,000 to Ravindra’s father on the day of engagement. Gold and silver jewellery along with costly cloths were also given to Ravindra’s family. The blank cheque was given as Ravindra’s father had claimed that they may need another Rs 20,000.
They had told the woman’s family that they may fill an amount of additional Rs 20,000 in the cheque and return it soon.

“The day of the wedding was decided after the cash was given. However, days before the wedding, the groom’s family came up with a fresh dowry demand,” the officer added.
Due to the harassment, the woman’s family had also filed a complaint with Delhi Police’s Crime Against Women Cell.

On being informed about the complaint, Ravindra’s family used the blank cheque and tried to withdraw Rs 80,000 without telling the woman’s family. The cheque was dishounoured due to insufficient funds in the bank account maintained by the woman’s mother. Ravindra and his parents were arrested.