AVTAR SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB AND ANR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The conspectus of the facts & material, which needs a necessary mention for the limited purpose of deciding the core controversy, involved in the instant petition, for pre-arrest bail and emanating from the record, is that the marriage of complainant Jagroop Kaur, daughter of Bohar Singh (for brevity "the complainant") was solemnized with petitioner Avtar Singh son of Balbir Singh, on 23.11.2012, according to Sikh rites & ceremonies. Sufficient dowry articles, mentioned therein the FIR, were stated to have been given by her parents as per their capacity at the time of marriage. One gold bracelet, weighing 11/2 tolas and a ring, weighing 7 grams, were given to the petitioner, besides other gold ornaments/traditional gifts to other co-accused/relatives, but they were not satisfied. They taunted her that her parents had not given a car/motorcycle and started beating her. They demanded Rs.5 lacs from her parents for sending the petitioner abroad. She narrated the entire tale woe to her parents, who gave an amount of Rs.1,60,000/- to petitioner in order to save her matrimonial cord by selling their ancestral house. The father of petitioner convened a Biradari Panchayat and requested the accused not to harass her, but all his efforts went in vain and reiterated their demand of cash and dowry articles.

(2.) Leveling a variety of allegations and narrating the sequence of events in detail in the FIR, in all, according to the complainant that although the indicated dowry articles and cash were given at the time of marriage and after marriage, but petitioner-husband taunted, harassed, tortured and treated her with cruelty in connection with and on account of demand of dowry. The accused have refused to return and misappropriated the dowry articles of the complainant. In the background of these allegations and in the wake of statement of the complainant, the present case was registered against the petitioner and his other co-accused, vide FIR No.247 dated 28.11.2013 on accusation of having committed the offences punishable under sections 498-A & 406 read with section 34 IPC by the police of Police Station Ajnala, District Amritsar Rural.

(3.) Having exercised his right of bail and remained unsuccessful before Addl. Sessions Judge, now the petitioner has preferred the instant petition for the grant of concession of anticipatory bail in the indicated criminal case in this Court.