(1.) ACCUSED Manjit Singh and Joginder Kaur were sent up for trial to face the charge under Section 304 -B IPC. The trial Court convicted accused Manjit Singh alone for the charge under Section 306 IPC. Accused Joginder Kaur was acquitted. Therefore, accused Manjit Singh has preferred the present appeal challenging the judgement of conviction under Section 306 IPC and sentence of 7 years R.I. and to pay a fine of Rs. 2000/ - and in default of payment of fine, to undergo a further period of 1 month awarded to him.
(2.) IT is the brief case of the prosecution that accused Manjit Singh married Baljit Kaur (since deceased) in the year 1996 after the death of his brother Jarnail Singh who was the first husband of deceased Baljit Kaur. Accused Manjit Singh used to taunt Baljit Kaur as she was older than him and demanded a sum of Rs. 4 lacs.
(3.) PW 1 Mohan Singh was the father of the deceased Baljit Kaur. He has deposed that in the year 1994, he gave his daughter in marriage to Jarnail Singh, elder brother of accused Manjit Singh. However, Jarnail Singh died in the year 1995. After his death, a male child was born to Baljit Kaur. Therefore, Baljit Kaur was given in marriage to accused Manjit Singh, the younger brother of Jarnail Singh in the year 1996. After about 1 year of her marriage, Manjit Singh started maltreating his wife Baljit Kaur on the ground that she was older in age. Accused Manjit Singh also started beating Baljir Kaur asking her to bring Rs. 4 lacs to go abroad. Baljit Kaur committed suicide on 9.6.2001 after having consumed poison.