SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has rejected the bail plea of Major Deepak Tetarwal, an Army officer accused in the dowry death case of his wife, Dr Kavita, who died under suspicious circumstances in October 2023, ETV Bharat reported.
Justice Javed Iqbal Wani, presiding over the case, also dismissed a separate petition filed by Dr Kavita’s mother, which sought to cancel bail previously granted to Tetarwal’s parents.
The case centres around the death of Dr Kavita, who married Major Tetarwal in April 2023. On October 1, she died an unnatural death in her residential quarters in Rajouri. A suicide note recovered from her device allegedly detailed harassment linked to dowry demands. Following her death, an FIR was lodged under Sections 498-A (marital cruelty), 304-B (dowry death), and 109 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code.
While Tetarwal’s parents had earlier been granted bail, the Major’s application was denied by the trial court, prompting him to approach the High Court. On December 13, the court dismissed his plea, citing the gravity of the charges and the potential risk of witness tampering, given his position in the Army.
The court observed that the evidence collected during the investigation provided prima facie support for the charges, and granting bail could compromise the integrity of the judicial process. It underscored the seriousness of dowry-related offences and stressed the need for a fair trial.
