YERRAMSETTI SUBBALAKSHMI Vs. STATE OF A P

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This appeal is filed by the accused aggrieved by the judgment dated 7-10-1996 in SC No.237 of 1995 passed by the learned Principal Assistant Sessions Judge, Eluru wherein she was convicted for the offence under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of 10 years and also to pay a fine of Rs. 1,000/-, in default to undergo simple imprisonment for further period of three months.

(2.) The story of the prosecution in brief is as follows: One Yerramsetti Maha Lakshmi (deceased) was married to Yerramsetti Durga Prasad who is son of the accused. The marriage took place in the year 1990 and since then the accused started harassing the deceased frequently and the deceased used to inform about the harassment to her parents who in turn requested the accused to treat their daughter well and not to harass, but the accused did not heed their request and continued to harass the deceased. On 1-7-1994 at 1-00 p.m., the deceased could not bear the harassment caused by her mother-in-law (accused) and poured kerosene on herself and set fire and sustained burn injuries. She was admitted in the Government Hospital, Eluru where her dying declaration was recorded by the II Additional Judicial Magistrate of First Class, Eluru and she died while undergoing treatment on 1-7-1994 at 6-45 p.m. Thus, the accused was charged for abetting the commitment of suicide by her daughter-in-law.

(3.) In support of its case the prosecution examined PWs.1 to 18 and marked Exs.P1 to P23. No oral or documentary accused was adduced on behalf of the accused.