MADAN LAL Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) MADAN Lal son of Ajit Ram, aged 27 years (husband), Ajit Ram son of Hukmi, aged 60 years (father-in-law), and Bhajan Kaur wife of Ajit Ram, aged 55 years (mother-in-law) of Smt. Raj Kumari, deceased, have filed the present appeal and it has been directed against the judgment and order dated 30.9.1994, passed by the Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Hoshiarpur, who convicted the appellants under section 304-B, IPC read with section 34, IPC and sentence them to undergo R.I. for a period of 7 years. The appellants were further convicted under section 498-A read with section 34 IPC and each one of them was sentenced to undergo R.I. for a period of 1 year and to pay a fine of Rs. 1,000/- each. In default of payment of fine, each one of them was ordered to undergo R.T. for 6 months.

(2.) THE prosecution story can be briefed as follows :- On 10.4.1996, the Station Master of Railway Station Khudda gave information to the Station Master, Mukerian, to the following effect :-

(3.) ON 10.4.1996, Baldev Singh, who is the brother-in-law of Raj Kumari along with one person came to his house and asked him if Raj Kumari had come to their house or not. At that time, Baldev Singh was in a drunken condition. Then he sent Hari Singh, mediator, Onkar Singh and Kulwant Singh to the house of the in-laws of Raj Kumari to enquire about her and they informed that Raj Kumari was not present there. He also enquired about Raj Kumari from the nearby relatives but no clue was found. On 11.4.1996 at about 8/9 A.M., he came to know that his daughter was found dead on the railway line. He also stated that his daughter committed suicide because she was being harassed and maltreated by her in-laws, i.e. Madan Lal, husband, Ajit Ram, father-in-law, Bhajan Kaur, mother-in-law, Bholi, sister-in-law, and Baldev Singh, brother-in-law of Raj Kumari.