"My wife and in-laws have filed a false criminal complaint against me under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 4 and 5 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The chargesheet falsely alleges that they paid a significant sum as a 'donation' at our wedding and later paid me ₹1 lakh out of a demanded ₹5 lakh to keep my wife with me. They claim I subsequently refused to accept her and demanded more dowry. All these allegations are fabricated.
However, their admission of paying ₹1 lakh as dowry can I have grounds to request the court to initiate a counter-case against them for giving dowry, as both demanding and giving dowry are offenses."
While you cannot file a counter-case directly for "giving dowry" as the Dowry Prohibition Act prohibits demanding or taking dowry, you can pursue legal action if your wife or her family falsely accuses you of demanding dowry or filing a false case.
A husband can also file cases for other offenses, such as false accusations, extortion, or intimidation, depending on the specific circumstances.
The burden of proving that you have not committed an offense under the Dowry Prohibition Act lies on you.
If you file a a case for giving dowry against them then it will backfire to establish that you have committed the offence of demanding dowry.
Be watchful before taking any such decision in haste.
