Family › Dowry or cruelty case (498A)
FIR filed under 498A against my family
What usually matters in this situation, and the papers to keep ready before you meet an advocate or free legal aid (call 15100).
Speak to an advocate before going to the policeIf an FIR is registered or you received a notice, get advice now about appearing, anticipatory bail and what to carry. Free legal aid: 15100.
Make my own list — free, 2 minutes
Your situation
- Which side are you on? I or my family have been accused
- Where does it stand? FIR registered
Where you stand
- Next step Speak to an advocate about bail before responding to police.
Do these now
- Timeline of the marriage, with dates when she lived where
Allegations are tested against dates. Where: Write it out.
Papers to gather
- Marriage certificate, wedding photos and invitation
Basic background for either side. Where: Your records. - Names of people who saw incidents or heard demands
Supports the account. Where: Your memory. - FIR copy, complaint and any police notice
Everything turns on the exact allegations. Where: Police station (FIR copy is free), online police portal. - Complete chats between spouses and families over the period
Shows context on both sides. Where: Your own phone.
You may also need, depending on your answers
- List of stridhan and gifts with photos and bills — Supports return of stridhan.
- Proof of where each accused relative lives and works (rent, utility bills, employer letters) — Courts look closely at general allegations against distant relatives.
- Papers in the other cases (divorce, maintenance, DV) — Statements in one case are compared in others.
- Any written settlement terms — Needed for quashing on settlement.
What the law says
Cruelty by a husband or his relatives is now an offence under Section 85 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (formerly IPC 498A). The Dowry Prohibition Act also applies. Arrest is not automatic; courts have laid down safeguards.
General information, not legal advice.
Saboot will also ask
- What is alleged or what happened?
- Who is named?
Similar situations
- In-laws demanding more dowry
- Want my stridhan and jewellery back from in-laws
- Falsely accused in a dowry case
- Police called me to the women’s cell
- Chargesheet filed in a dowry case
Sources
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
- Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
The full guide: Dowry or cruelty case (498A) — filing one, or accused in one · All situations