RAM KRISHAN Vs. STATE OF M.P.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE appellants have assailed the judgment of the Additional Sessions Judge, Begumganj, District Raisen, dated 21.10.2002 passed in ST No. 202/2001 being aggrieved by their conviction under section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (hereinafter referred to as 'IPC') under which sentence of one year's rigorous imprisonment with fine of rupees two hundred and fifty has been imposed on each of them. Apart from which appellant No.1 Ram Krishan has been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for ten years under section 304B of the IPC and appellants No.2, 3 and 4 have been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for seven years under section 304B of the IPC.

(2.) THE case against the appellants is that the deceased Vineeta, who was the wife of appellant No.1 sister -in -law of appellant No.2 and daughter -in -law of appellants No.3 and 4, entered into wedlock with appellant No. 1 on 26.4.2001 in a community wedding ceremony of the Sahu community, thereafter the appellants started demanding a television. motorcycle and cooler as dowry. The deceased Vineeta visited her parents twice after marriage and she had complained about this demand to her mother. Her parents had thereafter counselled appellant No.1 when he had gone to the house of the deceased's parents to bring back Vineeta on 13.9.2001. Ten days after her return, i.e., on 25.9.2001, her parents received information from the police station that their daughter Vineeta has been admitted in Silvani hospital due to severe burn injuries.

(3.) THE appellants denied the charges and in their statments under section 313 of the CrPC and stated that Vineeta received the bum injuries accidentally while cooking and at the time of the incident they were not at home and that the deceased Vineeta had kept all the jewellery with her parents that is why they had been falsely implicated so that the parents may not be required to return the jewellery. In defence they examined four witnesses who have stated that the deceased Vineeta received bum injuries while cooking. The prosecution has examined eight witnesses including the parents and uncle of the deceased Vineeta.