VALLI Vs. STATE BY THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Appellant herein is A-2 in S.C.No.302/2016 before the Sessions Judge, Mahila Court, Salem. She is the mother-in-law of certain Meena. On 17/1/2014, Meena committed suicide by hanging. She was arrayed as an accused along with her son (A1) (who is the husband of Meena) and her own husband A-3. While A1 and A-3 were acquitted by the Sessions Court, A-2 was convicted for offences under Sec.498(A), 304(b) IPC and Sec.4 of Dowry Prohibition Act and was sentenced as under:

(2.) Meena was barely 18 years old when she died. She was married to A1 on 5/12/2011. Since her death was within 7 years of the marriage, a complaint was preferred by Meena's mother (P.W.1), and a case came to be registered by P.W.12 in Cr.No:43 of 2014 vide Ext.P12 FIR. Thereafter, P.W.13 took up the investigation.

(3.) The case of the prosecution was that, Meena had married A1 on 5/12/2011. On 17/1/2014, at around 3.00p.m., A2, the mother-in-law of the deceased Meena, had cellphonically called P.W.2, the brother of the victim and had informed him that Meena had committed suicide by hanging. On obtaining this information, both P.W.1 and P.W2., along with few friends of P.W.2 had reached the house of the accused where Meena had committed suicide. Thereafter, on the same night, P.W.1 had preferred the complaint.