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498A: Supreme Court does away with family welfare committees, restores role of cops

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498A: Supreme Court does away with family welfare committees, restores role of cops

The Supreme Court on Friday, September 14, did away with the requirement of a family welfare committee to examine veracity of complaints under Section 498A of IPC while advocating balancing of interests of both the sides in dowry harassment cases.

The judgment was rendered by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud.

Modifying its judgment in Rajesh Sharma v. Union of India, which had laid down safeguards for the prevention of misuse of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, the Court scrapped the all-important direction contained in para 19(1) of the 2017 judgment which provided for constitution of Family Welfare Committees in every district to look into complaints under Section 498A and to submit a report on the same after interacting with the parties.

The two-judge Bench that passed the judgment in July 2017 had also directed that no arrest could be made till such committee submitted its report. This direction has now been done away with.

The Court restored the power of the police to decide whether or not to make arrest under Section 498A after it modified an earlier order of the apex court.

The three-judge bench headed by the CJI held that there is no need for a family welfare committee to examine complaints and that police officers, based on facts of the case and governed by the legal provisions, should decide on their own.

It also said that anticipatory bail provision shall remain intact for the husband and his family members.

The Court also favoured the view taken by a two-judge bench that bail plea should be expedited in case of arrests under Section 498A.

It however noted that a Court cannot frame guidelines for the police regarding registration of FIRs on subjecting a married woman to cruelty for dowry, as the process has to be governed by statutory provisions.

“There are no gaps in the law to be filled up by the courts,” said the SC bench.

The top court left it to Parliament to make suitable rules to check abuse of the law. The court said there are in-built remedies in Criminal Procedure to check the misuse of law like Section 41A and anticipatory bail among others.

In October last year, the Supreme Court had indicated that it would revisit its earlier verdict that put an end to automatic arrests under Section 498A of the IPC often invoked in dowry-related cases.

The Supreme Court bench had said it was “not in agreement” with the decision and “prima facie, we perceive that the guidelines may be in the legislative sphere”. “At this stage, we are obligated to state that we are not in agreement with the decision rendered in Rajesh Sharma vs State of UP, because we are disposed to think that it really curtails the rights of the women who are harassed under Section 498A (subjecting a married woman to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code,” the bench had said.

The court’s earlier verdict, issued on July 27, 2017, had laid down a set of guidelines that included the setting up of family welfare committees to vet complaints of harassment. The court was hearing a PIL filed by NGO Nyayadhar which sought sharpness in Section 498A, claiming that the otherwise “helpful instrument” in the hands of victim women had become “valueless”. It had also sought a direction to include two women members in the three-member family welfare committee as suggested in earlier court order.

On Friday, the three-judge bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra held that such panels had no place under the established criminal procedural law. They were beyond the Code of Criminal Procedure Code.

With this, the Bench restored to the police their power to immediately register an FIR and act on a dowry harassment complaint filed by a married woman.

Chief Justice Misra observed that the Bench of Justices AK Goel (now retired) and UU Lalit, which passed the last year order, merely wanted to craft a fair and reasonable procedure for complaints under Section 498-A. Nevertheless, Justice Goel’s Bench could not have interpreted Section 498-A beyond the scope of the established law, CJI Misra, who authored the 35-page Friday judgment, observed.

Chief Justice Misra reasoned that one of the major factors that influenced the last year order was statistics published by the National Crime Records Bureau, which showed that 1,97,762 husbands and relatives were arrested in 2012 alone for dowry harassment. Justice Goel had observed how an arrest “brings humiliation, curtails freedom and casts scars forever”.

But Chief Justice Misra rationalised that the blame does not lie with Section 498-A, which was introduced in 1983 by Parliament to protect hapless married women against dowry menace. The evil lay in the misuse of arrest powers by the police “who behave like emperors considering the notion that they can do what they please”.

Section 498-A IPC is cognisable and non-bailable offence. A guilty person faces up to three years in prison.

Chief Justice Dipak Misra agreed with the last year order to have a designated police officer to probe dowry complaints. It had ordered the Director General of Police of every State to provide such officers rigorous training.

The Chief Justice however differed with Justice Goel’s direction to empower district judges to close dowry harassment cases if the parties reached out-of-court settlement. Instead, the parties would now have to approach the High Court concerned for quashing of the complaint filed by the married woman.

The Friday judgment concurred with the last year order that recovery of dowry items by itself cannot be a ground for denial of bail to the accused. The judgment also saw eye-to-eye with the direction of Justice Goel that impounding of passport of an accused person or issuance of Red Notice should not be done on a routine basis.

The three-judge Bench also held that accused persons should apply for exemption from personal appearance in dowry harassment hearings.

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IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

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August 15, 2026

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IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

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Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

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20 hours ago

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August 15, 2026

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Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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PM Modi’s Saptadhara Vision: 7 streams driving India’s next growth phase

PM Modi outlined “Shakti Ki Saptadhara”, identifying seven streams including manufacturing, farming, technology, defence, green energy and soft power.

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August 15, 2026

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PM modi speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort on Saturday, outlined “Shakti Ki Saptadhara”, describing seven key streams that he said can drive India’s next phase of growth and strengthen its journey towards self-reliance and development.

The seven streams identified by the Prime Minister are manufacturing, farming, technology, Gatishakti, Raksha Shakti, green and blue economy, and soft power.

Calling on the country to focus on these areas, PM Modi said the seven streams represent India’s strength and can help the country become more self-reliant.

Manufacturing as the engine of growth

PM Modi called manufacturing the first stream of Saptadhara and stressed the need to significantly strengthen the sector.

He said India needs to produce both components and complete products and should emerge as a key destination in global supply chains.

The Prime Minister highlighted cost, quality and scale as important factors for Indian manufacturers to compete globally. He also stressed the importance of attractive packaging and precision in manufacturing.

Farming and food processing

Agriculture and food processing were identified as the second stream.

PM Modi said global markets are increasingly accessible to Indian farmers and called for greater efforts to take agricultural products from farms to international markets.

He highlighted traditional foods, millets, spices, fruits and vegetables, saying these products should be developed into global brands.

Technology and innovation

Technology and innovation form the third stream of Saptadhara, according to PM Modi.

He highlighted areas such as data centres, robotics and emerging technologies, saying India should aim to become a hub for these sectors.

Referring to the country’s experience with UPI and Digital Public Infrastructure, PM Modi said India has already demonstrated its technological capabilities and must now take the next leap in next-generation communication technology.

He also spoke about the goal of Made-in-India 6G reaching across the country.

Gatishakti and faster connectivity

The fourth stream is Gatishakti, with the Prime Minister stressing the importance of speed and connectivity for India’s growth.

PM Modi called for greater emphasis on roads and expressways to support businesses and said the country needs seamless, high-speed connectivity.

He also highlighted high-speed rail connectivity between cities and port-led development as areas requiring greater focus.

Raksha Shakti and self-reliant defence

Defence is the fifth stream of Saptadhara.

PM Modi called for greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing and highlighted the need to develop advanced technologies in the sector.

He particularly stressed the importance of drone and counter-drone technology, saying India needs to invest in these areas.

The Prime Minister also said India should move beyond being a market for defence equipment and work towards becoming a global supplier by developing next-generation defence technologies.

Green and blue economy

Green energy forms the sixth stream of Saptadhara.

PM Modi called for greater innovation in green energy and said India should aim for global leadership in green hydrogen, renewable energy and energy storage while continuing to contribute solutions to global challenges.

He also highlighted opportunities in the Blue Economy, particularly in fisheries, coastal tourism and ocean technology, saying these areas can create new pathways for India’s growth.

Soft power

Soft power is the seventh stream identified by PM Modi.

He cited Yoga, handicrafts, films, animation, gaming, digital content and the creative sector as examples of India’s soft power.

The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s potential to attract global tourists and called for greater focus on the country’s tourism opportunities, including its national parks and other attractions.

With “Shakti Ki Saptadhara”, PM Modi outlined a broad growth framework covering manufacturing and agriculture, emerging technology, connectivity, defence, sustainable energy, the blue economy and India’s cultural and creative influence.

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