Family members should not be included in dowry harassment cases: State PP

CHENNAI: The State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohamed Jinnah has written to the Director General of Police (DGP) Tamil Nadu that the police personnel should avoid mentioning the names of the husband's family members in the FIR while registering cases related to dowry harassment.

The letter pointed out the recent order of the Supreme Court that the police should not carry out unnecessary arrests in cases where alleged offences carry a maximum punishment of up to seven years.

The letter urged the DGP to ensure that the police personnel include only the name of the husband in the FIR related to dowry harassment case and not to include the names of other family members.

After the proper investigation only, the family members' name can be included, only if there is a prima facie that they are also involved in the crime, read the letter.

The inclusion of family members name in the FIR without verification may cause damage to the family's reputation and tarnish thier image in the public life the letter noted.