BETAL SINGH Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is a case of uxoricide. Kamla, the teenage wife of the appellant was burnt to death. Her suckling baby also sustained burns but did not die then. The appellant was charged for murder of Kamla. Though the Sessions court acquitted the appellant the High court of Madhya Pradesh in an appeal filed by the State, reversed the acquittal and convicted him under Section 302 Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to imprisonment for life. Hence this appeal by the convicted appellant

(2.) Facts, set up by the prosecution, in brief, are these

(3.) Kamla and her husband Betal Singh (appellant) and their little child were living together with the appellant's mother. Kamla was entertaining suspicion that her husband was carrying on illicit sexual connection with his elder sister-in-law, and Kamla used to openly accuse him of it. This conduct of Kamla invited trouble to her from the appellant as well as her mother-in- law and she was subjected to torture by them on account of it. The murder took place on 7/6/1979. A few days prior to it her mother-in-law left thehouse and went to a nearby village on some errand. Around 10 a. m. on the date of occurrence, the appellant doused the deceased with kerosene and set her ablaze by lighting a matchstick. Her little child also caught fire and both sustained severe burn injuries. Hearing her tantrums people around, including some of the prosecution witnesses, rushed into the room and they witnessed a human inferno remaining helpless. They made some efforts to extinguish the fire. But the burn injuries sustained by Kamla were so devastating that she could not survive beyond evening