MANOHAR LAL Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Two cases, namely, CRA No. 154-SB of 2001 and CRR No. 1040 of 2001 are being disposed of by this judgment having arisen from the same judgment.

(2.) The present criminal appeal has been filed against the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 6.2.2001 (hereinafter referred to as the 'impugned judgment') whereby the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Hoshiarpur (hereinafter referred to as the 'trial Court'), has convicted the appellant for the commission of offence under Section 498-A IPC and awarded him sentence to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of three years and to pay a fine of Rs. 10,000/- or in default, to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of six months.

(3.) Brief facts of the present case as set up by the prosecution, are that Smt. Sarla Devi, deceased, was the sister of Jiwan Lal, the complainant, PW1. She was married with the accused-Manohar Lal, about 5 = years prior to the date of occurrence and both of them had been residing at Mahilpur. At the time of marriage, sufficient dowry articles including clothes, cash and furniture, as per capacity and an amount of Rs. 1,50,000/- was spent thereon. It was alleged that after the marriage, the accused started maltreating the deceased and demanding money from her. Jiwan Lal and his brother gave Rs. 20,000/- to their sister (deceased) and the accused went to Dubai with this money. But after his return from Dubai after about 1 = years, the accused again started maltreating and beating the deceased. The accused was demanding more money from Sarla Devi and was forcing her to bring the same from her parents for starting his business. The accused and Sarla Devi had also come to the complainant and demanded money whereupon, the complainant and his family members arranged Rs. 17,000/- and paid to them. The accused started furniture shop at Mahilpur but the shop did not run well and the accused again started beating and maltreating the deceased and demanded more money.