Preamble

I'm a victim of A FALSE 498A case or a FALSE DOWRY CASE.

I did NOT, repeat NOT take any dowry, before, at the time of or AFTER Marriage, but I was threatened and falsely implicated in a dowry case by my beloved wife. I have been suffering for over 6 years.

As per law, (as it stands in the Indian Penal Code and Indian Criminal Procedure code in 2005 / 2006, the years of blogging here), all that my wife had to do was to send a one page complaint to the local police station stating that I demanded dowry and I, "..the accused.." had to do all the running around and face a lot of legal hassles to prove that I didn't seek dowry !!

Sans un necessary detail, this law considers INNOCENTS to be GUILTY, until the INNOCENTS prove their INNOCENCE !!

This may NOT make sense to many a first time reader.

International jurisprudence works on the concept of "...Innocent UNTIL proven guilty....".

However the peculiar dowry law in India works on "..Husband alone is Guilty until proven innocent !!!.." and this has turned criminal jurisprudence upside down !!

If the Irate Daughter in Law so desires she ropes in her husband's sister, mother et all. The latest I heard was a case where even a servant maid was NOT spared !!

Though there are many votaries to this peculiar concept, and they cloak their arguments in "..women's liberty.." and " ..women empowerment.." all I am left with is a false complaint against me. Nit just me, 10s of 1000s are left with false complaints

As I said earlier, I have been suffering over the last 6 years.

Over the years, painfully, I've understood that I'm NOT the only one. There are 10s of 1000s of silent sufferers, falsely accused, ALL OVER INDIA.

Metros top the list. Just the first half of 2005 had more than 3800 cases filed and that too JUST in Andhra Pradesh under 498, 498A IPC. This Malady shows NO sign of abating. This cancer spreads across language, religion or caste. Just as an Iyer from Palakad or Chennai could be hit, so is a Bihari or a Bhaiya or a Delhi walla

Recently while conversing with a lawyer at Chennai, I understood that there are more than 300 cases pending (in early 2006) at the Chennai H.C. seeking stay of such FALSE dowry case.
Some honest citizens have moved the Supreme court of India seeking stay on arrests.

The gory statistics of broken families, mothers who have been jailed, unwilling sisters who were dragged into police stations, ELDER ABUSE by irate daughters in law etc etc are enormous

Of late, I've been associated with some self help groups fighting 498A abuse. I provide suggestions to victims who are ready to share their case history with me. This is based on a self help concept.

My idea of self help is explained here :
http://tinyurl.com/pxcfz

(Read comments)