BALJIT KAUR Vs. SATPAL SINGH AND ORS.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present application has been filed by complainant Baljit Kaur under Section 378(4) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (for short Cr.P.C) for grant of leave to appeal against the judgment of acquittal dated 25.08.2014 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Patiala, vide which accused-respondents have been acquitted for the offences punishable under Section 304-B/34 Indian Penal Code (for short IPC).

(2.) The present case has arisen from the private complaint filed by complainant/applicant Baljit Kaur alleging therein that marriage of her daughter Amandeep Kaur was solemnized with accused Satpal Singh on 05.12.2003 with great pomp and show. Sufficient dowry was given and an amount of Rs. 6 lac was spent on the marriage. However, accused were not satisfied and soon after the marriage, they started taunting and harassing Amandeep Kaur on the ground that neither the Barat was attended properly nor the dowry articles were given. The parents of the deceased approached the accused with respectables of their village to convince the accused, but all in vain. Amandeep Kaur gave birth to a son and on his birth, sufficient gifts were given by her parents. But, the accused were not satisfied. Ultimately, the deceased was turned out of the matrimonial home on 13.05.2007 for the demand of Rs. 1 lac. The said amount was paid to accused Satpal Singh, but on 31.10.2007, the complainant rang up to her daughter and she told that the accused persons had given beatings to her and demanded another sum of Rs. 1 lac for the purchase of car. On 1.11.2007, a call was received from the accused persons and when the complainant reached at the matrimonial house of Amandeep Kaur, she was found dead. The postmortem examination on the dead body was conducted at Civil Hospital, Samana on 02.11.2007. FIR was registered against the accused persons, but the police did not take any action against them. Rather, the police obtained the signatures of the husband of complainant on some blank papers. Hence, the complainant filed the private complaint.

(3.) On the basis of the preliminary evidence, respondent Satpal Singh @ Paramjit Singh, the husband of the deceased, his father Karamjit Singh and his mother Harmeet Kaur were ordered to be summoned to face the trial for the offence punishable under Section 304-B read with Section 34 IPC vide order dated 13.08.2012, passed by the learned Judicial Magistrate, Samana. However, the complaint against the remaining accused was dismissed. Accused Harmeet Kaur died during the pendency of the case and proceedings against her were abated. The trial was faced by respondents Satpal Singh @ Paramjit Singh and his father Karamjit Singh, who were charge sheeted for the offence punishable under Section 304-B read with Section 34 IPC to which they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.