LUCKNOW, Aug. 31 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court recently acquitted a Faizabad man and his two relatives of dowry death charges, 35 years after his wife was found dead in a well, stating that the prosecution's case was riddled with contradictions and never proved that she was harassed for dowry before she died.

Justice Manoj Bajaj passed the judgment on August 21 on the appeals filed by convicts, challenging the trial court's judgment. The high court set aside a trial court's 1996 conviction of Shiv Narain alias Surya Narain, Jai Narayan and Pateshwar under Sections 498-A, 304-B, 201 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code [corresponding to Sections 86, 238 and 61of the BNS, respectively) and ordered their bail and surety bon...