S KANNAN @ SEEIKVASAN Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The appellant is the sole accused in S.C.No.411 of 2008, on the file of the learned Additional Sessions Judge/Mahila Court, Tirunelveli. He stood charged for the offences punishable under Sections 498(A) and 302 of the Indian Penal Code. By Judgment dated 07.07.2011, the Trial Court has convicted the accused, as detailed below: -

(2.) The case of the prosecution, in brief, is as follows: - The deceased, in this case, was one Mrs.Boomari. The accused is her husband. Prior to the marriage, they had fallen in love with each other and in culmination of the said love affair, they married one and half year prior to the date of occurrence. For about one year, they were residing together as husband and wife at Rajapalayam. The accused had developed drinking habit and in intoxicated condition, he used to harass the deceased. It is further alleged that the accused demanded ten sovereigns of gold jewels further from her parents and since the same was not given, he further harassed her. It is further alleged that after sometime, the accused and the deceased started residing in a thatched shed, situated just in front of the house of PW -1. On 25.07.2007, at 05.30 PM, it is alleged that the accused poured kerosene on her and set fire. She cried in flames. PW -1, the father of the deceased, who was residing in the opposite house, rushed to the place of occurrence and found her in flames. He extinguished the fire. In the said process, he also sustained injuries. Then, PW -1 took the deceased to the Government Hospital at Sankarankovil.

(3.) We have heard the learned Senior Counsel appearing for the appellant, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent and also perused the records carefully.