Dowry Harassment In Love Marriage 'Difficult To Believe': Karnataka High Court Grants Bail To Husband In Suicide Case
The Karnataka High Court has recently granted bail to a software professional accused of abetting his wife's suicide, observing that allegations of dowry demand become 'difficult to be believed" when the marriage is a love marriage. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 254]The single judge bench of Justice S Vishwajith Shetty, while allowing the bail petition of accused, noted that the accused and the...
The Karnataka High Court has recently granted bail to a software professional accused of abetting his wife's suicide, observing that allegations of dowry demand become 'difficult to be believed" when the marriage is a love marriage. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 254]
The single judge bench of Justice S Vishwajith Shetty, while allowing the bail petition of accused, noted that the accused and the deceased wife were staying alone in a rented house at Bengaluru, as per the chargesheet. The police investigation also concluded that none of the other family members accused for dowry harassment were residing with the petitioner and the deceased, the court noted while granting bail.
“…As rightly contented by the learned counsel for the petitioner, since the marriage between the petitioner and the deceased is a love marriage, the allegation that the demand was made for payment of dowry at the time of marriage and even after marriage there was a further demand for payment of dowry becomes difficult to be believed. ...the court observed in the order.
After the accused shifted the wife to a private hospital soon after her attempt, she succumbed to the injuries while undergoing treatment. The court noted,
“…The post mortem report of the deceased would go to show that she had suffered minor injury on her lips, which would prima facie suggest that the petitioner and his wife had fought immediately prior to the date of incident, in which the deceased had committed suicide.”
While granting the bail, the court also reasoned that the investigation in the dowry death case was concluded and the petitioner was entrusted with the care of his own 2-year-old son.
The petitioner and the deceased wife had married since they loved each other, with the consent of their families, in 2023. The couple had a two-year-old son from the wedlock, and both were employed in the Corporate Sector.
In 2026, the husband was arrested by K.R Puram Police Station upon a complaint filed by the mother of the deceased wife for dowry harassment meted out to her daughter. The FIR was lodged for offences under Sections 80(2), 85 read with 3(5) of BNS, 2023, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.His earlier bail application of the accused-husband was rejected by the Sessions Court on April 25, 2026.
While allowing the bail, the court directed that it would be subject to the husband executing a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with two sureties for the like sum, regular appearance before the Trial Court, not threatening or tampering with prosecution witnesses, and not involving in similar offences in future.
Case Title: Tummala Manoj Kumar V. State Of Karnataka
Case No: CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 7318 OF 2026
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 254