KOCHI: An attempt by a man and his family to shame his wife — the victim in a dowry harassment case — using a third person’s certificate affirming illicit relationship with her backfired when a court here took the accused to task for having stooped so low to target the woman.
The police said the accused presented such an evidence to convince the additional sessions court that the victim’s moral side was weak and the case was a fabricated one. The dramatic development happened when their anticipatory bail pleas were taken up for hearing. However, the court wasn’t convinced with the evidence and dismissed the bail pleas of Althaf Manayaparambil, 41, and his mother and sister.
Based on a complaint lodged by his wife on November 1, the Kalamassery police had registered a case against Althaf under sections 498A of IPC (husband or kin of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
Additional Sessions Judge G Girish observed:
“In support of the above allegation of extramarital relationship of the complainant, a copy of the certificate issued by the adulterer is produced. It is seen from the above photocopy of the certificate that the declarant there under has affirmed that he had physical relationship with the complainant for more than four years with her full consent, and that the complainant had committed adultery with him. It is too hard to accept such a certificate issued by a self-proclaimed adulterer who claims to have indulged in sexual relationship with the complainant for the past four years. No prudent person could be expected to issue such a certificate. The fact that the petitioners herein have managed to procure such a certificate from a self-proclaimed adulterer itself reveal the mental cruelty meted out to the complainant. There is absolutely no scope for granting pre-arrest bail in such cases where the assailants would stoop to any level to see that the victims are ravaged.”
The police said the marriage between Althaf and the complainant took place on September 18, 2011.
His wife had submitted that, ever since marriage, she was “subjected to physical and mental torture by the accused demanding more dowry despite giving 125 sovereigns of gold”. The police said the victim had complained that the accused poured hot water on her legs and arms for not heeding to their demand for more money. The physical and mental torture continued till October 30, 2021, the complaint said.