Dowry is a menace in our country and despite thousands of cases of violence related to it, the practice still persists. Even the educated masses do not refrain from asking for heavy sums of dowry before marriage. Section 489a of the Indian Penal Code protects women from the evils of this practice.

All above statements are true. However, shades of grey also exist in this truth.

There are several men who are victims of false allegations of dowry which destroys their lives and their family reputation.

One such case has came into light from Muzaffarpur, Bihar

What is the case?

A 25-year-old woman named Pinki was married to Manoj Sharma in 2015 and went missing after few months of her marriage. A few weeks later, an unidentified decomposed body of a woman was recognised by Pinky’s parents as their daughter. Her parents filed a dowry harassment case against Sharma and alleged that he had killed their daughter. Sharma was convicted in the case of murdering his wife and put behind bars. He has since been in jail.

Two years hence, Pinki has been found alive, living with her lover in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh

How was Pinki discovered?

“Family members of Manoj Sharma got a call from one of their acquaintances a few weeks back and he told them that he had seen Pinki staying with a man in the cant area in Jabalpur. Immediate family members of Manoj Sharma thereafter went to Jabalpur, and after identifying Pinki, informed us,” said assistant sub-inspector Shatrughan Sharma of Araiya Police Station to India Today.

Police added that she had affair with Mayur Malik before she got married to Manoj Sharma and the marriage was against her wishes.

What happens now?

Both Pinky and her lover are being taken to Bihar where she will be produced before the court to prove that a fraudulent case of murder was filed against Manoj Sharma.

At the same time, a case of criminal conspiracy would be file against everyone who were involved in putting Sharma behind bars, including Pinki’s parents.

The Logical Indian Take

Two years of an innocent man’s life were destroyed because of false allegations. In such a situation, the police is also to be blamed for errors in investigation which led to his conviction.

Such cases lead to a trust deficit among citizens and at the same time hurt people’s belief in the judicial system of India. We hope that the conspirators are severely punished and an example is set.