BALBIR CHAND AND ORS. Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) AGGRIEVED by judgment dated 06.06.2011 passed by learned Additional Sessions Judge, Sangrur, appellants have preferred the present appeal.

(2.) BALBIR Chand, father -in -law and Sukhwinder Kumar, brother -in -law of the deceased have been sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life besides pay a fine of Rs. 10,000/ - each and further imprisonment of one year in default for the offence punishable under Section 302 IPC. Parminder Kumar, husband of the deceased has been sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life besides pay a fine of Rs. 10,000/ - and further imprisonment of one year in default for the offence punishable under Section 302/120B IPC. All the accused have been sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life besides pay a fine of Rs. 10,000/ - each for the offence punishable under Section 120 -B IPC with all sentences to run concurrently.

(3.) KIRANJIT Kaur's statement was recorded by Balwant Singh, Judicial Magistrate First Class, Chandigarh, to the effect that she was married with appellant Parminder Kumar on 14.10.2007. Parminder Kumar told her that he was forcibly married of with her. Adequate and sufficient dowry had been given to Parminder Kumar and other family members but they kept finding fault therewith. A motorcycle was given in dowry but Parminder Kumar wanted to change the same and wanted her parents to pay the difference in the amount. When she refused to ask her parents there was bickering in the house. Parminder Kumar kept nagging her to get out of his house. She returned to her parental house. After some time, her mother -in -law died of a heart attack but she was blamed for the same. Fifteen days prior to the occurrence, Kiranjit Kaur was brought back to the matrimonial home by Parminder Kumar on intervention of Panchayat. Her parents were to visit her matrimonial home on 20.05.2008. When she rang them up, appellant -Balbir Chand, father -in -law of the deceased, snatched the phone from her. Parminder Kumar while going for his work on 18.05.2008 told his father that the job should be finished on that very day. After Parminder Kumar left for work, Kaka @ Sukhwinder Kumar (appellant No. 3) younger brother of Parminder Kumar and brother -in -law of the deceased, poured kerosene oil on her and Balbir Chand her father -in -law set her ablaze. She raised hue and cry and came running out of the house and fell in the water canal/khal. She kept crying for being taken to the hospital but Balbir Chand her father -in -law told her to wait for her parents and said that they would not remove her to the hospital till their arrival. Balbir Chand rang up at her parental home and two hours thereafter her bother Amrik Pal and uncle Sewak Ram came there and took her to Dhuri from where she was brought to Rajindera Hospital, Patiala and finally to PGI, Chandigarh. Her in -laws accompanied her up to Patiala but not to PGI, Chandigarh. Said statement of Kiranjit Kaur was also recorded by SI Harminder Singh and forwarded to Police Station Dhuri where the above said FIR was registered under Sections 307, 498A, 34 IPC. Statement recorded by Balwant Singh, Judicial Magistrate First Class, Chandigarh bears her right thumb impression.