NACHHATAR SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS judgment will dispose of Criminal Appeals No. 88-SB of 1991 and 278-SB of 1991, as both these appeals arise out of a judgment and order dated February 21, 1991. For facility of reference, facts are being mentioned from Criminal Appeal No. 88-SB of 1991.

(2.) VIDE judgment and order dated February 21, 1991, appellants were found guilty and convicted for commission of an offence under Section 304-B of the Indian Penal Code (for short IPC) and were sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for seven years. Hence they have filed this appeal. State of Punjab filed Criminal Appeal No. 278-SB of 1991 with a prayer that punishment awarded vide order dated February 21, 1991 be enhanced.

(3.) AS per prosecution story, marriage of Balbir Kaur deceased was solemnised with appellant No. 3 Nirmal Singh about five years prior to the date of occurrence. Out of the wed lock, one female child was born. After about two/three years of the marriage, appellants-accused started fighting with Balbir Kaur for bringing less dowry. Appellants-accused used to maltreat her continuously and force her to demand more dowry from her parents. She had gone to the house of her parents three/four times and made a prayer for more dowry articles. However, due to financial constraints, her parents failed to fulfill greed of the appellants. On intervention made by respectables of both the sides, Balbir Kaur started living in the house of her in-laws. Her brother Sukhmander Singh (PW-6) used to meet her off and on and she used to tell him about the maltreatment being given to her by the appellants for bringing less dowry as the same was not upto their expectations.