DAVINDER SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB & ANR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioner Davinder Singh son of Gurdip Singh has directed the instant petition for the grant of anticipatory bail, in a case registered against him along with his parents & co-accused, vide FIR No.55 dated 27.12.2012 (Annexure P1), on accusation of having committed the offences punishable under sections 406 and 498-A IPC by the police of Police Station Women Cell, Patiala, invoking the provisions of section 438 Cr.PC.

(2.) Concisely, the prosecution case, in brief in so far as relevant was, that the marriage of complainant-respondent No.2 Gaganpreet Kaur (for brevity "the complainant") was solemnized with petitioner-ASI Davinder Singh, according to Sikh rites & ceremonies. One Alto car, 10 golden rings, male bangle (Karra), ear rings, domestic articles and some other customary gifts were given by her parents by spending an amount of Rs. 12 lacs. After ten days of the marriage, the petitioner-husband and his family members started harassing her as according to them, the clothes and dowry articles were not of their liking. They demanded Rs. 5 lacs in cash. It was claimed that the parents of the petitioner asked the complainant to hand over all the jewellery, dowry articles and movie of the marriage to them. She promised to give the same in the presence of her husband. Thereafter Rajwant Kaur, sister-in-law and Balbir Kaur, mother-in-law, gave beatings to her. It has specifically been mentioned that the petitioner-husband started beating her at the instance of his mother & sister and pushed her to bed & wall and bolted her inside the room. They did not provide her food. The petitioner also snatched her gold ornaments and gave to his parents. He also throttled her neck on the asking of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

(3.) Leveling a variety of allegations and narrating the sequence of events in detail, in all, according to the complainant that the petitionerhusband taunted, harassed, tortured, gave batings and treated her with cruelty in connection with and on account of demand of dowry. In the background of these allegations and in the wake of complaint of the complainant, the present case was registered against the accused, vide FIR (Annexure P1) as narrated here-in-above.