SHC orders return of dowry in divorced couple's jewellery case

Court dismisses appeal, says family court decision based on evidence and valid legal grounds

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has upheld a family court decision in a case related to dowry and jewellery, dismissing the appeal filed against the lower court's ruling and ordering the return of dowry items to the petitioner.

Justice Hassan Akbar of the SHC issued a written order on the appeal, observing that the family court had rightly evaluated the evidence and record before reaching its conclusion.

According to the court order, the parties were married in 2002, and at the time of marriage, dowry items, jewellery, and other valuables provided by the woman's parents remained in the possession of the husband and his family.

The petitioner stated that her jewellery had been placed in a bank locker registered in the name of her husband and mother-in-law. She further maintained that she left the house in 2006 along with her two sons, while the husband divorced her in 2007. The husband, in his written reply, described the dowry list as fabricated; however, he partially acknowledged the list and agreed to return non-gold items. The court observed that a party cannot simultaneously accept parts of a list while denying the rest as false.