JATIN CHADHA Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The compendium of the facts, culminating in the commencement, relevant for disposal of present petition and emanating from the record, is that the marriage of complainant-Radhika (respondent No.2) was solemnized with petitioner No.1 Jatin Chadha according to Hindu rites and ceremonies on 15.1.2004. After solemnization of the marriage, the parties resided together as husband and wife at Ludhiana and one male child was born out of the said wedlock. The parties could not adjust with each other and due to the differences, the complainant-respondent No.2 lodged a criminal case against her husband and other relatives, vide FIR No.19 dated 29.2.2008, on accusation of having committed the offence punishable under sections 406 and 498-A read with section 34 IPC by the police of Police Station Division No.8, Ludhiana.

(2.) Concisely, according to the complainant, although her father gave sufficient dowry articles including the jewellery, but the petitioners-accused were not satisfied with the same. They started demanding more dowry articles and abusing her as well as her parents in this context. They taunted her on one pretext or the other for bringing less dowry. Her mother-in-law was stated to have demanded a cash of Rs.11 lacs from her parents.

(3.) Levelling a variety of allegations and narrating the sequence of events, in all, the prosecution claimed that the petitioners-accused treated the complainant with cruelty on account of and in connection with the demand of dowry. On the basis of aforesaid allegations and in the wake of complaint made by the complainant Radhika, the present case was registered against the petitionersaccused in the manner indicated here-in-above.