LUCKNOW, Aug. 7 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court recently acquitted a man who had been convicted of subjecting his wife to cruelty, abetting her suicide and offences under the Dowry Prohibition Act, while observing that when the trial court itself found that the husband had no contact or communication with his wife for more than five months before she took the extreme step, it could not be said that he abetted her act.

Justice Subhash Vidyarthi passed the judgment on July 31 while allowing the criminal appeal filed by the husband. The court also observed that under section 3 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, not only taking dowry but also giving it is a punishable offence.

However, finding that the prosecution failed t...