Overview
- The Delhi High Court refused anticipatory bail to the husband and his parents in a case where a young bride died within months of marriage and said custodial interrogation cannot be ruled out because the probe is at an early stage.
- The court criticised police for leaving the matter at the inquiry stage for months and noted the FIR was filed only after a magistrate directed registration.
- Judges recorded crime-scene indicators such as broken bangles and anklet pieces that went unaddressed and said the delay prevented arrests and impeded timely investigation.
- The court rejected the defence claim that the parents’ later detailed complaint was an afterthought, saying grieving relatives cannot be expected to give a full account while standing by their child’s body.
- The order noted that the concerned DCP has initiated disciplinary action against erring officers and urged courts to list applications for FIR directions on shorter dates to prevent evidence loss and weaken prosecutions.