DHANDAPANI Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS Criminal Appeal is directed against the conviction and sentence passed by the Court of Principal Sessions Judge, Erode as per his Judgment dated 19. 02. 2002 in S. C. No. 145 of 2001 thereby convicting the appellant-A1 for the commission of offences under Sections 498-A, 302 and 201 IPC and under Section 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act and sentencing him respectively, to undergo R. I. for three years, life imprisonment, R. I. for five years and R. I. for six months and to pay a fine of Rs. 2000/- in default to undergo RI for two months further ordering these sentences to run concurrently.

(2.) ON a perusal of the materials placed on record and upon hearing the learned counsel for the appellant and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor representing the State, it comes to be known that the appellant is the first accused and he has been charged for the offences punishable under Sections 498-A, 302 and 201 IPC and under section 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act.

(3.) THE case of the prosecution is that A. 1 is the son of A. 2 and A. 3 and they were residing at Kuttupulli Thottam, Aalangayam. The deceased Selvi was the wife of Appellant/a1 and that the accused/appellant joining hands with his parents A. 2 and A. 3, harassed the deceased Selvi by demanding dowry on various occasions; that one month prior to the date of occurrence, the accused pestered the victim Selvi to bring a sum of Rs. 50,000/- from her father for constructing their house and as the victim could not bring the dowry amount demanded by the accused, on 31. 10. 1999 at about 11. 00 am. in their newly constructed house at Kuttupulli Thottam, the accused decided to kill the victim Selvi and had beaten her severely with force, as a result of which, she died; that in order to screen the death of the deceased Selvi, the accused poured kerosene on the victim Selvi and closed the door, tied the same with iron chain and locked the door from outside and lighted a match stick and threw the same through the window which was kept open, and set the victim on fire and hence the charges against all the three accused for commission of offences punishable under Sections 498-A, 302 and 201 IPC and u/sec. 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.