SUKHDEV SINGH AND ORS. Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) APPELLANTS Sukhdev Singh @ Sukha, Kartar Kaur and Pritpal Kaur @ Raji were convicted under Section 304 -B IPC and were sentenced to undergo 8 years' R.I. each. They have challenged in this appeal the above judgment of conviction and sentence passed by the trial Court.

(2.) IT is the case of the prosecution that all the accused committed cruelty upon Harjinder Kaur @ Hinder who was married to the son of 2nd appellant Kartar Kaur on 24.11.2008, as a result of which Harjinder Kaur committed suicide and thereby, they committed an offence under Section 304 -B IPC.

(3.) PW 1 Bishan Singh was the father of deceased Harjinder Kaur. It was he who set the law in motion. PW1 deposed that he had given sufficient dowry articles when his daughter Harjinder Kaur was given in marriage to Jaspal Singh on 24.11.2008. After some time of the marriage, the appellants started taunting his daughter for bringing less dowry articles. One day prior to the occurrence, Harjinder Kaur called PW1 to bring a gas stove alongwith cylinder as her in -laws had separated her husband from them and she was unable to cook food. On 22.5.2009, at about 7.30 a.m., PW1 and his son Surjit Singh who was examined as PW4 proceeded to the matrimonial house of Harjinder Kaur alongwith gas stove and cylinder. The accused started teasing them for bringing gas cylinder and gas stove. They also informed PW1 that Jaspal Singh had got marriage proposals from others who could give sufficient dowry. Appellant Pritpal Kaur @ Raji also had brought a motorcycle for appellant Sukhdev Singh. They demanded a motorcycle from PW1. Harjinder Kaur having witnessed such a quarrel went inside the house in anger. After pacifying his daughter, PW1 and PW4 left for their village. On 23.5.2009 at about 11.00 a.m. Jaspal Singh, the husband of Harjinder Kaur, came to his house and informed that his wife had committed suicide, as she was not able to tolerate the atrocities committed by the appellants. PW4 Surjit Singh, brother of Harjinder Kaur, also corroborated the evidence of PW1. PW3 Baljit Kaur deposed that on 23.5.2009, she joined the police party in the presence of SHO Preet Inder Singh and other witnesses. While searching the dead body of Harjinder Kaur, she recovered suicide note Ex. P5.