Media Release

Mangalore, Sep 21: In an interesting development, the JMFC court in Mangalore has issued non-bailable arrest warrant against Dr Ranjeetha Shenoy, a lady doctor of Davangere and her father for allegedly submitting false police complaint of dowry charges against her husband and in-laws.

Dr Ranjeetha Shenoy of Davanagere was married to Dr Gurukanth Rao, an assistant professor of medicine at a hospital in Manipal. After marriage Dr Ranjeetha Shenoy resided with her husband only for 15 days and started insisting that he should come and reside in her parental house in Davanagere. 

When he refused, she allegedly abandoned him demanding divorce and one crore rupees and threatened to lodge a false dowry case if money was not paid. Without informing the husband, she reportedly started working as assistant professor in a hospital in the city. On coming to know that she was in Mangalore, her husband Dr Gurukanth Rao met her at the hospital where she was working and requested her to join him back, but she demanded divorce and Rs one crore compensation.

When he did not agree for the high-handed demands, she went to Pandeshwar police station, and lodged a false criminal case alleging that her husband and her father-in-law Dr N R Rao had demanded dowry, physically and mentally tortured her and threw her out of the house. During the enquiry Ranjeetha’s parents Rathnakar Shenoy and Jamuna Rani Shenoy also allegedly gave false statements to the police that there was dowry demand and harassment.The police summoned Dr Gurukanth and his parents and held a detailed enquiry by questioning the relatives and neighbours. It was revealed that there was no dowry at all in the marriage and all the marriage expenses were borne by the husband. Allegations of cruelty, beating etc were found to be false. Police concluded that it was a false complaint and hence closed the case.

The accused lady's father-in-law Dr N R Rao is a well-known senior physician of Manipal and his family was deeply hurt and defamed on account of this false complaint that was lodged with the sole intention of extorting money from him and his son. Dr Rao approached the JMFC Court, Mangalore, through noted lawyer P P Hegde, praying the court to punish his daughter-in-law Dr Ranjeetha Shenoy and her parents for filing false complaint of dowry and harassment. After enquiry, JMFC court found that there are prima facie materials showing that Dr Ranjeetha Shenoy and her parents had lodged a false complaint of dowry, harassment etc to the police and abused the anti-dowry laws and thereby committed perjury and defamation.

The JMFC court upheld the arguments of complainant’s advocate P PHegde and passed a landmark judgment ordering to register criminal case (as per CC No 1214/14) against Dr Ranjeetha Shenoy and her parents Rathnakar Shenoy and Jamuna Rani Shenoy for the criminal offence of perjury and defamation. The charges carry maximum of two years prison sentence.

In the meanwhile, Dr Ranjeetha Shenoy has left her work and presently she is absconding. She failed to appear in the court inspite of summons. Hence JMFC court has issued non-bailable warrant for the arrest of Dr Ranjeetha Shenoy and her father Rathnakar Shenoy (a businessman of Davanagere) and directed Mangalore Barke police to arrest and produce them in the court. The Mangalore police raided the house of Dr Ranjeetha Shenoy in Davangere on Saturday September 20 but Dr Ranjeetha Shenoy and her father were absconding. The Mangalore police team is in Davanagereto arrest them.

This order of issuance of non-bailable arrest warrant to the wife who lodged false dowry complaint to the police against innocent husband and in-laws will go a long way in stopping the misuse of law by disgruntled wives to extort money by lodging false charges of dowry.