SURINDER KUMAR Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Appellant Surinder Kumar alias Kala has preferred this appeal against the judgment/order passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Amritsar, vide which, he was convicted under Section 304-B of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to undergo RI for a period of 10 years and to pay a fine of Rs. 10,000/- or in default of payment of fine, to further undergo R1 for six months.

(2.) In brief, the facts of the case are that one Usha, Madhok, made a statement, Ex. P.W. 7/c, before ASI Dhian Singh, wherein she has stated that she had three children. Her daughter, Manu Madhok, was married to Surinder alias Kala, accused-Appellant, about 4 to 5 months ago. At the time of the marriage, dowry articles were given according to her financial status except colour T.V. Mangat Ram, husband of Reeta, sister-in-law, 'nanad' of her daughter, Pinky, her 'jethani', and Krishna, her mother-in-law, started beating her daughter, Manu Madhok, for demand of more dowry. She gave a sum of Rs. 2,000/- to her daughter but her in-laws were not satisfied with this amount and kept on beating her. On 1.6.1999, Surinder Kumar, accused-Appellant, dropped deceased Manu Madhok in front of the house of her parents after giving her merciless beatings and fled away op his scooter. Smt. Usha Madhok came out of the house and saw her daughter weeping. On enquiry, the deceased, Manu Madhok, replied that her in-laws had beaten her and her husband dropped her there and asked her to first bring colour T.V. from her parents and thereafter, enter her in-laws' house. On next day, i.e., on 2.6.1999, Srht. Usha Madhok, called her husband, Shri Surinder Kumar Bhandari and narrated the whole story to him. On 3.6.1999, she along with her daughter, Mrs. Manu Madhok and her brother, Surinder Kumar Bhandari, went to the house of her daughter's in-laws and requested them that they were unable to give their colour T.V. and Smt. Manu Madhok be not beaten in future. The in laws told to leave the daughter there. On account of maltreatment given by her in-laws, Mrs. Manu Madhok committed suicide by jumping before the train on account of non-fulfillment of the demand of dowry. Due to harassment caused by the above members of the house of in-laws, she had committed suicide. Surinder alias Kala, Rita, Mangat, Sapna, Pinki and Krishna, instigated Mrs. Manu Madhok to commit suicide.

(3.) On the basis of this statement, a case FIR No. 77 dated 3.6.1999 under Section 304-B of the Indian Penal Code was registered against Surinder alias Kala, Rita, Mangat Ram, Sapna, Pinki and Krishna, in Police Station, GRP, Amritsar.