JAI RAM Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard. Satya Devi daughter of Duni Singh was married to Paramjit son of Jai Ram on 26.1.1995. They gotason from this marriage. On 14.8.1998 she died of hanging. According to her father Duni Singh, on 15.8.1998, he was informed by Bhajan Lal Ex-Sarpanch of Village Shaffipur, mediator of this marriage, that his daughter had died due to heart attack. Thereupon, he, his son Jaswant Singh, and his wife Surjit Kaur accompanied by other residents of the village reached Village Shaffipur where they were informed that his daughter had committed suicide by hanging herself. He became non-plussed to find out what should be done, as such he did not make correct statement to the police. He came to know afterwards that his daughter had been killed by his son-in-law Paramjit, Paramjit's father Jai Ram, Bishan Lai and Joginder Kaur wife of Bishan Lal as they had demanded Rs. 25,000/- for Paramjit who was to go abroad and this amount had been paid to Paramjit and his father at Village Shaffipur but 120 days earlier to Satya Devi's death, they again demanded Rs. 25,000/- which he refused to pay.

(2.) Learned Counsel for the petitioners submits that there was tiff between Satya Devi and Paramjit which is usual wear and tear of married life and as a sequel to that tiff, they did not talk to each other for 2-3 days and on 14.8.1998, Satya Devi asked her husband Paramjit to sleep inside but Paramjit slept in the verandah which aggravated their tiff. Satya Devi who was sleeping inside, due to depression arising out of the tiff between her and her husband, committed suicide after hanging herself with the girder with a chunni. He submits that this fact was discovered in the morning on 15.8.1998 when Paramjit went out to answer the call of nature in the fields. In support of this submission, he draws my attention to the suicide note left by Satya Devi in which she wrote that she had told him (Paramjit) that she will not speak. She fulfilled this vow and she wanted to be forgiven. They were to remain together only for this much period and now she was going after leaving him. He should look after Ravinder i.e. their son and daddy i.e. Jai Ram. She further wrote in that suicide note that her belongings should be given to her parents lying in trunk and that trunk contained nothing which belonged to them. If he did not believe her version, he could check the trunk after opening the same. He submits that she thus did not speak of any torture on her by them on account of any demand; He further submits that her version was supported by her father, mother and brother who appeared before the police and made no grievance that she had ever been tortured or any demand was made on her. They also mentioned in their statements before the police that there was minor tiff between them which annoyed each other. Satya Devi asked her husband to sleep inside but he slept outside in the verandah. Satya Devi got further annoyed and she preferred to commit suicide by hanging herself with the fan.

(3.) It is to be adjudicated at the trial whether it was dowry death or suicide by Satya Devi abetted by Paramjit efc. or it was suicide simplicitor consequent upon the tiff that arose between Satya Devi and her husband which is the normal wear and tear of married life particularly when the marriage is recent. In the fitness of things, I deem it proper to allow anticipatory bail to Jai Ram and Paramjit petitioners. So, it is ordered that in the event of arrest, the Investigating Officer will call upon them to furnish bail to his satisfaction. They shall keep joining the investigation as per the direction of the Investigating Officer.