HUKMA DEVI Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) HEARD . According to the prosecution, Smt. Usha Rani was married to Darshan Lal s/o Narain Pandit r/o Village Mandher. He was putting up at village Ahmadpur with his wife at the house of his maternal grandmother-Hukma Devi. In that house, they were living with Hukma Devi and Darshna Devi his mother's sister. Usha Rani was married about 10 years ago and had two children i.e. one son and a daughter. According to Surjit Ram uncle of Usha Rani who is author of the first information report, Usha Rani was being harassed by Hukma Devi and Darshna Devi and Darshan Lal though there was no patent reason for them to harass her. They sent her to her village Shergarh. Respectables of Village Shergarh intervened and they brought about her induction into the matrimonial home. A few days prior to this unfortunate incident in which Usha Rani lost her life, Surjit Ram received a message from his niece Usha Rani that her in-laws were harassing her and were demanding her share of the compensation amount which had been received by the family on account of the death of her mother Satya Devi in Dabwali fire incident. In the Dabwali fire incident for the death of Satya Devi in fire, family got Rs. One lac as aid from the Government.

(2.) ACCORDING to the prosecution thus, the accused wanted compensation amount of the share of Usha Rani. On 27.2.1996 to about 9.00 p.m., Surjit Ram and his brother Basant Lal reached the house of Usha Rani to see for themselves how Usha Rani was being treated in the house of her in-laws. At that time, they found Hukma Devi, Darshna Devi and Darshan Lal quarrelling with Usha Rani. When they asked why they were quarrelling, Usha Rani told them that they wanted her share of the compensation received by them (Usha Rani's family) on account of Dabwali fire incident. They tried to bring home to them not to vitiate the atmosphere of the house on such untangible considerations. Hukma Devi, Darshna Devi and Darshan Lal raised raula and humiliated Usha Rani saying that she should leave them and die. Compelled by their harassment, Usha Rani went in the kitchen and poured kerosene oil on her and set herself ablaze. In no time, the fire engulfed the entire body of Usha Rani. She was taken to Civil Hospital, Mansa where she died.

(3.) IT is yet to be seen whether Usha Rani was a person of ordinary sense and temper or whether she was a highly sensitive women driven to commit suicide on such insensitive issue.