RAMPRAKASH @ POPAT GOVIND MANOHAR Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Appeal is filed by Original Accused No.1, challenging the Judgment and Order dtd. 17/11/1998, passed by Additional Sessions Judge, Pune in Sessions Case No. 67 of 1998. By the impugned judgment and order, the Appellant is convicted for offence punishable under sec. 306 of Indian Penal Code ('IPC' for short) and sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for 3 years and pay fine of Rs.1000.00 and in default to pay fine, to suffer rigorous imprisonment of 3 months. The Appellant is also convicted for offence punishable under sec. 498-A of IPC, however, no separate sentence is awarded for the same. The Appellant was tried alongwith his mother, Accused No.2 (Shevantabai Govind Manohar), who was acquitted under the impugned judgement and order.

(2.) I have heard Mr. Mali, learned Counsel for the Appellant and Mr. Kulkarni, learned APP for the Respondent-State.

(3.) The case of the prosecution, in short, is that Appellant got married to deceased-Rekha on 25/05/1997. After marriage, the Appellant-husband and Accused No. 2-mother-in-law subjected deceased-Rekha to cruelty for bringing money from her parents for the purpose of household expenses and also demanded sewing machine, as a result of which deceased-Rekha committed suicide by jumping into river and drowning, sometime between 13/11/1997 to 17/11/1997. On 13/11/1997, deceased-Rekha left the matrimonial house and missing report was lodged on the same day. On 17/11/1997, dead body of deceased-Rekha was found floating in the river, which was informed to father of the deceased. Thereafter, father of the deceased lodged complaint.