KRISHNA DEVI Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present appellant, Shrimati Krishna Devi, is the sister of Madan Lal, who is the husband of Manjit Kaur deceased. It is alleged that after her marriage, Manjit Kaur was subjected to maltreatment by the members of her husband's family, including the appellant.

(2.) It. is further alleged that on 6.4. 1975 at about 12.30 P.M. Manjit Kaur was workg in the kitchen and was preparing 'chapatis'. She served the meal to her young daughter Manju before anybody else. On this Krishna Devi appellant, who was also present there, reprimanded her for doing so. In her wrath she kicked the stove on which the food was being prepared. Thereafter she poured kerosene oil on Manjit Kaur's clothes. At that time the deceased was wearing a cotten 'dhoti', a silken blouse and brassiere. These cloths 104 became wet with the oil. The appellant then ignited a match stick and set Manjit Kaur's clothes on fire. The victim cried for help and called out her husband Madan Lal, who was playing with a child in the adjointing room. Immediately thereafter Madan Lal, Harish (her brother-in law) and Shakuntla (another sister-in-law) reached there and tried to exitinguish the fire by putting quilts and blankets on her. Manjtt Kaur got burns on her whole body.

(3.) She was removed to Safdarjung Hospital, where, on admission, she was promptly attended to by Dr. Ashok Kumar. Before the said Doctor the injured made a voluntary and spontaneous statement to the effect that at the time she was cooking the food her sister-in-law Krishna had poured oil over her from the stove and had then set her clothes on fire with a match box. She further added that she had run outside the kitchen but got burnt.