IPS officer Varun Kumar spared from personal appearance in dowry case

Varun Kumar had moved the high court seeking to quash the entire proceedings pending against him in the file of XI Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Saidapet, Chennai and also to dispense with his personal appearance during the hearings in the trial court.

Justice M S Ramesh on admitting the plea, ordered notice to the Central Crime Branch (CCB), Chennai. In 2011 G Priyadarshini, had lodged a complaint against Varun Kumar in which she had claimed that they were friends since 2007 and he had promised to marry her. However, after being selected for IPS in 2011, his attitude towards her changed and he and his parents demanded a dowry of two kg gold, 50 lakh in cash and a luxury car, she said. 

Subsequently, a criminal case was registered against Varun by the CCB under the Dowry Prohibition Act and the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act. The IPS officer in his plea to quash the proceedings against him claimed that the trial court had failed to apply its mind while framing charges. He said the de facto complainant foisted a complaint against him only with mala fide intention to harass him and wreak vengeance. 

“The trial court has failed to take into consideration that even according to the complaint there was no formal betrothal or engagement or even pre-engagement ceremony. When such is the case, the allegation about dowry demand as prerequisite for marriage falls to ground,” Varun said. He also added that the intention of the complainant is to maliciously implicate him in a dowry demand case with ulterior motive and to quench her personal grudge.