RANJANA SURESH JADHAV Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Appellant has been convicted for the offence under Section 302 and sentenced to suffer life imprisonment as also to pay a fine of Rs.500/-.

(2.) One Suresh Jadhav (PW3) lived with his two wives who he married after his first wife died. Their respective children as well as a son Prakash (PW1) from his first wife also lived with them. The deceased Sindhubai, the second wife of Suresh, was an imbecile. She was the sister of his first wife. Suresh married Sindhubai after the death of his first wife. He later married the accused Ranjana. It is the case of the prosecution that the two wives, the deceased and the accused, often quarrelled. The accused would then return to her maternal home in another village. On the fateful day i.e. 23rd November 1999, Suresh locked his two wives at home and handed over the key to Prakash. It is the case of the prosecution that Suresh did this because on the earlier day after quarrelling with the deceased, the accused had left the house. Prakash (PW1) had then persuaded her to return home. According to the prosecution, after being handed over the key of the house, Prakash went to the bus station and whiled away his time. He returned home at around 1.45 p.m. for lunch. When he reached near the house, he heard his step mothers quarrelling. He unlocked the door and found the accused assaulting the deceased with a stone roller. The accused then left the house while Prakash lodged the FIR with the Police Outpost at Pabal. Complaint was registered and the investigations commenced.

(3.) The accused was arrested pursuant to the investigations conducted. All other procedures like drawing up of the inquest panchanama and spot panchanama were completed and the case was committed to Sessions for trial.