SITAL KAUR Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) SITAL Kaur (52), the appellant herein, was sent up for trial for the murder of her daughter-in-law Kuldip Kaur (19) and other related offences. Sital Kaur's two sons Jaswant Singh (husband of Kuldip Kaur) and Surjit Singh had also been tried along with her. The learned Additional Sessions Judge charged the accused for dowry death but not for murder. The learned Additional Sessions Judge (ad hoc), Fast Track Court, Hoshiarpur vide judgment dated January 29, 2003 acquitted both Jaswant Singh and Surjit Singh but Sital Kaur was convicted under Section 304-B I.P.C. and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life and pay a fine of Rs. 1,000/-, in default of payment of fine to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for one month. Sital Kaur has filed the present appeal to challenge her conviction and sentence. There is no appeal against the acquittal of the other two accused.

(2.) SITAL Kaur was wife of Kesar Singh and lived at Denowal Kalan, Police Station Garhshankar with her two sons Jaswant Singh (28) and Surjit Singh (22). Jaswant Singh had got married to Kuldip Kaur (deceased) of Langroya in August 2000. Kuldip Kaur would be harassed every day by Sital Kaur and her co-accused for having brought less dowry and also would be beaten up often. She had informed her father Ajit Singh (PW-1) about this and the matter had also been reported to the village Panchayat who had advised the accused not to maltreat or harass Kuldip Kaur but this was in vain.

(3.) KULDIP Kaur was evacuated to Civil Hospital, Garhshankar where her brother Bhupinder Kumar (PW-3) and other relatives also arrived. Kuldip Kaur also told them that she had been set on fire by the accused.