Can I file a dowry harassment case years after the incidents occurred?

Criminal complaints for cruelty and dowry harassment don't have as strict a limitation period as many other offences, given the ongoing, often escalating nature of such harassment within a marriage, but significant delay in filing can still affect how the complaint is viewed and what evidence remains realistically available.

Courts do sometimes ask complainants to explain a long delay in coming forward, though a reasonable, genuine explanation — such as fear, financial dependence, or family pressure to stay silent — is generally taken into account rather than being treated as automatically fatal to the complaint.

Given that evidence becomes harder to gather with time (memories fade, documents may be lost, witnesses may become unavailable), it's advisable to consult a lawyer as soon as you decide to pursue this, so they can assess what evidence is still realistically available and advise you on how best to present your case, including addressing the delay if the matter proceeds to trial.