STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH Vs. VEDRI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The lust, passion and greed makes the man blind, who can go to any extent in committing crimes even against his kith and kin. This is an unfortunate case, as alleged, where accused-respondent had killed his own wife and young married daughter on intervening night of 20-21st June, 1984.

(2.) About 20 years before the incident, deceased Shyam Sundri was married to accused-respondent and from this wed-lock after about 8 to 10 years, a daughter deceased Kamlesh was born. After about 7-8 years, accused entered into second marriage with Sukhrani and that was the beginning of befalling calamaties on his first wife deceased Shyam Sundri. It is said that after selling a part of his ancestral agricultural land, accused performed marriage of his daughter deceased Kamlesh some 4-5 years before the incident with Devi Singh (PW3). After sometime, some other agricultural land, which stood in the name of Jagdevi (PW7), mother of the accused, were sold and out of the same proceeds, a plot was purchased at Gohad chauraha in the name of Sukh Rani, second wife of the accused. The deceased Shyamsundri feeling aggrieved by sale of ancestral property thereby took it as future loss to her and her daughter, filed a Civil Suit on 14-5-1983 in the Court of Civil Judge, Gohad against accused, his second wife, Sukhrani and Mahila Hem Kuwar. She had also filed objections before the Tehsildar Gohad against mutation proceedings where-under mutation was proposed in favour of Hem Kuwar on the basis of sale-deed executed by Jagdevi in her favour in respect of S. N. 418. It was alleged by the deceased Shyam Sundri Bai that her husband is a shrewd and mischievous type of person, who in order to avoid her maintenance has managed to record ancestral land in the name of his mother and had also sold a part of the land to Hem Kuwar. It is further alleged that after marriage of her daughter, accused had started treating her with mental and physical cruelty and beating her under the influence of liquor. In order to expel her from the house, her mother-in-law Jagdevi and second wife of accused, Sukhrani also abated cruelty and beating by the accused. They had also snatched her jewellery, received from her parental house as Estri Dhan.

(3.) Sarman Singh (PW9), brother of deceased, Shyam Sundri, after about 5-6 months from second marriage by accused, was approached by Shyam Sundri, who told him about the atrocities committed upon her by the accused. Since accused had neglected the deceased Shyam Sundri some 3-4 years before the incident, a case for awarding maintenance to her was filed in Gohad Court. Since then Shyam Sundri started residing at village Ehrani with her brothers. Some 15 days before the incident, when deceased Shyam Sundri had appeared for recording her statement in the maintenance case against the accused, the accused offered her maintenance and to keep her with him. Shyam Sundri, therefore, accompanied with her daughter-deceased Kamlesh went to live with accused at village Tehri. The returning of deceased with accused seems to have caused another trouble in the house because both the wives of accused quarrelled and consequently 2nd wife Sukhrani left for her parental house.