'Woman died of snakebite': Hubby, parents let off in dowry death case after 3yrs in jail

Meerut: A court in Bulandshahr acquitted a 32-year-old man and his parents, all of whom were charged for "killing his 24-year-old wife over dowry", saying evidence proved the victim had actually died of snakebite and that there was "no foul play". The court on Thursday also directed the state govt to pay Rs 1 lakh compensation each to the three acquitted persons for spending three years in jail.The court of additional district and sessions judge (ADJ) Shahzad Ali then ordered the UP director general of police (DGP) to take action against the investigating officer (IO), DSP Gopal Singh, for shoddy probe.Mamta Devi, who had married Sumit Kumar, a shopkeeper, in May 2017, was found unconscious at home about 15 days after giving birth to a child and was declared dead in hospital in May 2018. Following allegations of dowry harassment and murder by her family, police booked Sumit, his father Devendra and mother Roopvati under IPC sections 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 304B (dowry death) and 3/4 Dowry Prohibition Act at Khurja police station.However, during the trial, medical and forensic evidence indicated that the woman's death was caused by snake venom. Defence counsel Iqbal Ahmed Khan submitted that the viscera report confirmed the presence of organochlorine insecticide in the deceased's body, which was consistent with snakebite envenomation.While acquitting the accused, the court observed that the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt. It noted that no prior complaint of dowry demand or harassment was ever lodged by the woman's family.The court also recorded that it was the in-laws who immediately took the woman to a local doctor, who confirmed it was a case of snakebite. The tehsildar's report, too, mentioned snakebite as the cause of death. But despite these findings, police registered a case of dowry death, overlooking the available evidence.The court further directed the DGP and the state govt to ensure the appointment of competent and skilled investigating officers in heinous crime cases to prevent wrongful prosecution of innocent persons.