HC quashes criminal proceedings against Manoj Prabhakar

The Delhi High Court today quashed criminal proceedings against former cricketer Manoj Prabhakar in a dowry harassment case filed by his wife. Justice S L Bhayana passed the order after the former all-rounder informed the court that all the dispute between him and his wife have been sorted out and they have been formally divorced.

Prabhakar was facing criminal prosecution in the lower court after an FIR was filed against him by his wife Sandhya Prabhakar alleging that she was being harassed for dowry. Granting relief to the former cricketer, Justice Bhayana said, "In my considered opinion no useful purpose will be served by continuing the said FIR particularly when the parties have settled all their disputes amicably.

" "All pending proceeding are therefore ordered to be quashed against the accused(Manoj Prabhakar)," the Court said. The couple got married in 1986 and lived together for 20 years.

But in August 2006, Sandhya filed a criminal complaint against Prabhakar and other members of the family alleging that she was being tortured for dowry. She also accused him of bigamy and alleged that he was in relationship with a woman.
The couple then applied for divorce which was granted by a family court here on January 29 this year and the former cricketer had to pay Rs five lakh to his wife. Prabhakar then approached the High Court for quashing of the FIR on the ground that all the allegation against him had been withdrawn and dispute had been amicably sorted out.