Ten-year nightmare of groom falsely accused of demanding dowry finally comes to an end

By Akash Vashishtha

Family members of Munish Dalal, who were acquitted by a Noida court after being accused by Nisha Sharma in a dowry case, said they have just been handed their freedom after a ten-year-long ordeal.



Nisha, a resident of Sector-56 in Noida, had hit the headlines in May 2003 after she refused to marry her groom for allegedly demanding `12 lakh as dowry and a car on the day of the marriage.



Following her complaint, Munish, his mother Vidya and his paternal aunt Savitri Sharma were arrested. The Noida court acquitted the Dalals on Wednesday.



Left at the altar: Nisha Sharma in 2003

Munish's 68-year-old widowed mother - the only earning member of the family - lost her job as a teacher in a government school after the incident.



'My mother gave 36 years of her life to the government's education department. She had also represented India in hockey. But she was put behind bars for no reason. Her career came to an abrupt end and even her retirement benefits were withheld,' an anguished Munish said.



And if this wasn't enough ignominy, the government incorporated the incident in NCERT textbooks that is still taught to children in Class VI.



'The names of my mother and me were put in government textbooks, as if we are the worst criminals in the country. The chapter says how my family was turned back for demanding dowry,' Munish said.



'I was to get married on the evening of May 11, 2003. The next morning I was in jail. You can well imagine my state of mind,' he added.



Recalling the pain, he said:



'My elderly mother and 75-year-old aunt had to travel 75 km to Noida for the hearings. In the last nine years, we went to the court at least 320 times whereas Nisha's family was in court on hardly ten days.'

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Minutes before her wedding ceremony was about to be concluded, Nisha Sharma’s father was allegedly asked for more dowry money.

Reports suggested the marriage in 2003 had nearly been solemnised - with guests about to begin dinner - when the groom’s family allegedly demanded `12 lakh in car and cash. The 21-year-old decided to say no, which quickly lead to a scuffle between the families, forcing Sharma to call the cops.

The groom and his mother were later arrested, and Sharma shot to fame as a rare example of a young woman willing to say no to dowry-seekers.

Sharma’s act would also be repeated by a number of other women, who said they had been inspired by her story. Police later charged the groom and his mother with subjecting a woman to cruelty in connection with a dowry demand.

Both parties have moved on since then. While Nisha got married a few months after the incident, Munish got married to a 'simple girl' in 2008 at a temple in Delhi. And he didn't take any dowry, Munish added.



'It was pre-planned. Nisha's father D.D. Sharma placed a matrimonial ad in a newspaper February 14, 2003 - the day when she and Navneet Rai allegedly got married at a temple. Sharma knew of Nisha's alleged affair but still put the ad,'Vidya said, recalling their ordeal.

According to her, the baraat was stopped at the entrance to the wedding venue on May 11, 2003, the fateful day. Nisha's father apologising profusely said he hadn't been able to arrange rooms for the groom's wedding party. And Sharma didn't take any steps to remedy the situation even when Vidya told him that they had been insulted.



A heated exchange followed and the groom's wedding party turned back.



While they were on their way home, they got to know that the Sharmas had lodged an FIR for dowry against them, she said.



'My son was arrested at six the next morning and I was arrested a few hours later. We spent two months behind bars,' Vidya added.

'Only their family deposed against us.'

Their counsel Naresh Chand Gupta said they would file for damages against Nisha's family. R.K. Rai, the father of Navneet with whom Nisha was said to be in a relationship, too, said they would seek damages from the Sharma family.



Nisha is said to have admitted in court that she wished to marry Navneet.



Later, an affidavit surfaced before the media stating that Nisha had married Navneet at a temple on February 14, 2003. Nisha, however, denied in the court that the affidavit was signed by her. Nisha's father said they would appeal against the court's order.



'They (the accused) have only got the benefit of doubt,' he said.



