VAJABAI VIKRAM SONAWANE Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Both these appeals can be conveniently disposed of by this common judgment, as the appellants in both these appeals were the accused in the same Sessions Case i.e. Sessions Case No.58 of 2007 and were tried in the same trial by the Additional Sessions Judge, Jalgaon. The learned Judge found the appellants guilty of offences punishable under Section 498A of the IPC r/w Section 34 of the IPC and Section 306 of the IPC r/w Section 34 of the IPC, and sentenced them to suffer R.I. for three years and to pay a fine of Rs.2,000/each, with respect to the offence punishable under Section 498A of the IPC r/w Section 34 of the IPC and R.I. for six years and to pay a fine of Rs. 1,000/each, with respect to the offence punishable under Section 306 of the IPC r/w Section 34 of the IPC. The appellants were also charged of having committed an offence punishable under Section 304B of the IPC r/w Section 34 of the IPC, but the Additional Sessions Judge acquitted them of the said offence.

(2.) The appellant in Criminal Appeal no. 621 of 2011 was the accused no.1, while the appellant nos. 1 and 2 in Criminal Appeal no. 393 of 2011 were the the accused nos.2 and 10, respectively, in the said Sessions Case. There were seven other accused in the said case and they were also charged similarly, but the learned Additional Sessions Judge found them not guilty, and acquitted them of all the offences.

(3.) The machinery of the Criminal Law was set in motion against the accused persons, on an unnatural death of Santiga, the wife of the accused no.1. The accused no.2 is the mother of the accused no.1 and the accused no.10 is his father. The other accused were the relatives of these accused.