HARKUNWAR BAI (MAHILA) Vs. STATE OF M.P.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE appellants have challenged judgment of conviction passed against them under sections 302 and 201 of IPC and they have been sentenced to suffer imprisonment for life and 4 years' R.I. respectively.

(2.) ACCORDING to the prosecution version, deceased Geeta Bai, the wife of appellant No.3 Asharam and daughter -in -law of appellants 1 and 2, was living with the appellants, having been brought to the village about 8 - 10 days earlier to the incident. The deceased died on 4.5.88 with burn injuries.

(3.) A report of the incident was lodged by appellant Nirbhaysingh with Police Station Chanderi, on the date of incident itself, stating that at about 5.00 p.m., when the appellants were at the well, Balchand Lodhi of the village (DW 3), came to them from the village and asked them to proceed to the house as their daughter -in -law Geeta Bai had died due to the burn injuries. On such information, the appellants came to their house and found Geeta Bai dead. She had the burn injuries. The appellants had called the Sarpanch of the village and had narrated the incident to him. The maker of the FIR, appellant Nirbhaysingh further stated that how his daughter -in -law set herself to fire was not known. On the above information a marg was registered by the Police.