KRISHNA RANI Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present appeal has been filed by the appellant, namely, Krishna Rani, challenging the judgment of conviction dated 7.4.200I (hereinafter referred as impugned judgment) and order of sentence of the same date passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Ferozepur (hereinafter referred as 'trial Court'), whereby the appellant has been convicted for the commission of offence under Section 307 and 498-A IPC and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of seven years for the offence under Section under Section 307 IPC and to pay a fine of Rs. 3,000/- and in default of payment of fine, to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of one year and for the offence under Section 498-A IPC, to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of two years and to pay a fine of Rs. 1,000/- and in default of payment of fine to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of three months. Both the sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

(2.) The brief facts of the case are that the complainant, namely. Smt. Prem Lata was married to Parveen Kumar about six years back and was blessed with two children, namely, Mohnish Kumar, aged about five years and daughter, Priyanka, aged about four years. Right from the day of her marriage, her mother-in-law, Krishna Rani, along with his son, Parveen Kumar, had been maltreating her. The marriage of younger brother of her husband, namely, Sonu, was fixed for 28.6.1999 and her mother-in-law, in this behalf, raised a demand of Rs. 1,00,000/- from her and asked her to bring the same from her parents. However, on 7.6.1999, she expressed her as also her parents' inability to meet out the said demand as they were not in financial position to fulfill the same. On 8.6.1999, since morning, her mother-in-law was harassing, maltreating and coercing her to go to her parental home and bring the amount in question to which she refused. At about 1.00/1.30 p.m., while she was present in the house, along with her daughter, Priyanka, and mother-in-law, and she was cleaning floor of the house and her husband had gone to his shop at Makhu, in the meantime, her mother-in-law came from back side and poured kerosene oil on her person. When she looked towards her, her mother-in-law meanwhile, set her on ablaze and rushed to the roof-top of the house. The complainant ran towards the door raising shrieks whereupon, one Darshana w/o Surinder Kumar and her Devrani, were attracted to the spot and were succeeded in extinguishing the fire. Thereafter, she was taken to the hospital by her father-in-law, Harbans Lal and his brother, Mohan Lal.

(3.) On this statement, formal FIR, Ex. P9, was registered and the investigations were conducted. Statements of the witnesses were recorded, site plan was prepared, thereafter, final report under Section 173 Cr.P.C. was prepared and presented before the Court of Magistrate. The case was committed to the Court of Sessions. Accordingly, charge was framed under Section 307/498-A IPC to which the accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.