Dowry: Court orders FIR against UP Minister

The court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Chitrakoot on Wednesday ordered lodging of an FIR under the Dowry Prevention Act against UP Sports Minister Ayodhya Pal and his family members....

The court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Chitrakoot on Wednesday ordered lodging of an FIR under the Dowry Prevention Act against UP Sports Minister Ayodhya Pal and his family members. They included his son Om Dutt alias Raju Pal,the ministers brother Raj Kumar Pal,his two daughters and the wives of the minister and his brother.

The ministers family had broken the engagement of Om Dutt with a girl whose parents allegedly could not fulfill their demand for a dowry of Rs 50 lakh.

CJM Virendra Kumar Pandey found sufficient ground to lodge the FIR,said Rudra Prashad Mishra,advocate of Prabal Pratap Pal who had moved to court after the police did not lodge his FIR. Prabal Pratap Pals daughter Preeti Pal,a nurse in the Banda district hospital,was engaged to Om Dutt.

On his application,which was submitted on January 30,the court had sought a report from the police. On Wednesday,the police informed the court that they had not lodged an FIR,but were investigating the matter. The court then ordered the police to lodge an FIR against the accused named ,said Mishra.

As soon as I get a copy of the order,I will ask the Kotwali inspector to lodge the FIR and investigate the matter. In fact,the police had already started the investigation, said Chitrakoot SP Aparna HS.

Om Dutt and Preeti were engaged on October 7,2008 at Tourist Bungalow,Sitapur,Chitrakoot. In December 2009,the minister asked Prabal Pratap Pal to arrange Rs 50 lakh dowry. Pal said the minister later broke the engagement and fixed his sons marriage at some other place. On January 9,Pal met the Chitrakoot SP and requested her to lodge an FIR,but the police did not do so. Pal then moved the court.