The Hindu : National : Prince of Arcot for review of Dowry Prohibition Act

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Thursday, Jun 12, 2008
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Prince of Arcot for review of Dowry Prohibition Act

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to initiate a review of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, which, he said, had been widely abused in recent times to implicate innocent men and their families.

The Nawab, while supporting the purpose of the Act to protect women from dowry harassment, said that in practice the relevant law and Section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code were being misused to initiate police action against innocent grooms and their kin. Many such cases dragged on in court for years only to end in a compromise or acquittal, he said in a memorandum.

The Nawab suggested incorporation of measures into the Act to ensure that the police would not arrest a person on the basis of a mere complaint; the arrested person would be either presented before a magistrate within 24 hours or set free; pre-trial publicity would be banned; and penal provisions would be invoked against those making false complaints.

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