JAFAR Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Criminal Appeal is directed against the judgment of conviction and order of sentence passed by the learned I Additional District and Sessions Judge, Bagalkot, sitting at Jamakhandi (herein after referred to as the 'trial Court'), in Sessions Case No.86/2015 dated 22.2.2017, wherein the appellant-accused has been convicted for the offences punishable under Sections 323, 504, 307 and 302 of IPC.

(2.) We have heard the learned counsel Sri. S.S.Yadrami for Sri. N.L.Batakurki, for the appellantaccused and the learned Additional S.P.P. Sri V.M. Banakar for the respondent-State.

(3.) The genesis of the case of the prosecution in brief is that the deceased was belonging to Hindu Banajiga community. She came in contact with the accused about six years back while doing the centring work and subsequently, they became friends. Thereafter, they started loving each other. Subsequently, she left the house without informing her family members and started residing in a rental house with the accused. About two years back, she got a male child by name Sohail. At that time, the accused entered into a second marriage. In spite of it, she was leading the life and was working in a hotel as a coolie. It is further alleged that the accused used to suspect her fidelity and in that light on 18/5/2015 about 10.00 p.m., when she came back after completing her hotel work, accused took quarrel with her by suspecting the fidelity and poured kerosene on her and set fire. By hearing the crying, the neighbours came and extinguished the fire and on 19/5/2015, the elders advised her husband-accused to take her to the hospital and accordingly, he took her to Jamakhandi Hospital and subsequently, she died due to burn injury.