Dowry death case: In-laws get anticipatory bail

New Delhi: A Delhi court has granted anticipatory bail to the in-laws in a dowry death case, where the victim, 24-year-old Kiran was found dead in her home with a piece of cloth tied around her neck. After the body was discovered, the Delhi Police had registered an FIR based on a complaint from Kiran's mother, alleging that her daughter's husband Veeru and his family members would regularly harass and torture her about dowry payments.

Passing the anticipatory bail order, an Additional Sessions Judge here said that since the investigating officer in the case had not found sufficient grounds to arrest the victim's in-laws as of yet, in the event of their arrest, they can post bail on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 each.

Arguing for the accused, Kiran's father-in-law, Rajmal; mother-in-law, Rajbala; brother-in-law, Naveen and his wife, Aarti, defense counsel Rishi Pal Singh said that anticipatory bail should be provided because they lived separately from the couple and were co-operating with investigators.

However, according to the police complaint, the victim who was from Panipat, Haryana was married to Jahangirpuri resident Veeru in 2012 and since then was subject to torture by both her father-in-law and mother-in-law. The FIR goes on to say that Kiran's brother-in-law Naveen and his wife Aarti would also join in beating her as they had expected a four-wheeler in dowry.

Kiran's mother, Babli, in her statement, said that she would often speak to her daughter over the phone about the violence she faced at the hands of her in-laws. In addition, Babli claimed that Kiran's in-laws had also accused her daughter of having extramarital affairs. The victim was found dead in February this year in her Jahangirpuri home, where she lived with her husband Veeru since her wedding. Veeru was arrested by police in connection with the death and is currently in judicial custody.