Hyderabad HC quashes dowry case against lawyer

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Monday quashed an order passed by the II Addl Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Vijayawada, arraying an advocate as an accused in a dowry harassment case.

Justice U. Durga Prasad Rao was allowing a criminal petition filed by Mr Metta Chandrasekhar Rao, a practicing advocate, seeking to quash the order passed by the trial court under Section 312 of the CrPC making him accused No 2 in the dowry case lodged by Tirumala Venkata Kalyani against her husband.

Advocate S.R. Sanku, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that his client was not a relative of the de-facto complainant and the allegation against him was that the daughter of the complainant was driven to suicide after he found fault with her dress twice.

Mr Sanku submitted that the police, during the investigation, discharged the petitioner from the case as the allegations were vague in nature and the advocate was not a relative of either complainant or her husband. The advocate contended that Section 498A of the IPC is applicable only to the relatives of the woman or husband. While considering the argument, the judge quashed the lower court order.