The observations, by the city Additional Sessions Judge FTC-III, were made recently while hearing a bail petition of a man and and his mother who spent 20 days in police custody in a dowry harassment case against the them and two other members of their family. The bail was granted.

While the case is yet to be heard, the court said both the husband and the wife were equally responsible for the marital disharmony. Without going into the merits of the complaint, the court observed that "the complainant (wife) and first petitioner (husband) who are young, having all health and wealth, instead of enjoying the matrimonial bliss, are at loggerheads by smearing sludge on each other."

Sarwamangala, an ITES employee, had filed a complaint of physical assault and dowry harassment against her estranged techie husband Gagan Hiremath, father-in-law, mother-in-law Shylaja Hiremath and sister-in-law Neha Hiremath.

As reported in these columns earlier, Gagan and Shylaja were arrested following the complaint. They had to spend 20 days in police custody before their bail plea came up for hearing. Gagan and Sarwamangala, as reported in these columns earlier, are both techies working in the city.

Gagan had served divorce notice after his marriage ran aground soon after it was solemnised. Sarwamangala, who had already left her matrimonial house, then filed a complaint of dowry and physical harassment case against Gagan and his family members. She alleged that a dowry of Rs. 50 lakh was demanded soon after her wedding.
Granting the bail, the court observed that the material evidence submitted along with the complaint did not corroborate either the allegation of physical assault or the dowry demand.

Indeed, the court said the complainant was "reluctant" to do "household work" at her matrimonial house. He also observed that the complaint was made long after the alleged physical assault and the demand for dowry and came only after Gagan moved for divorce.
DH News Service