BUNNI KHATOON Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Appellant Bunni Khatoon was tried with co-convict Md. Iliyas by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, III Court, Jehanabad after being charged with committing offence under Section 372 of the Indian Penal Code and by judgment dated 21.03.2001 was held guilty of committing that offence. The learned trial Judge heard the appellant under Section 235 of the Code of Criminal Procedure on sentence and directed her to suffer rigorous imprisonment for a period of six years. Appellant Bunni Khatoon challenges the judgment of conviction and the order of sentence passed against her by preferring the present appeal.

(2.) P.W. 8 Baby Devi was the daughter of informant Chaurasiya Devi (P.W. 1). It appears from the First Information Report that she was found missing while she had gone to a well to take her bath. Hectic search was made for her but she could not be found out. The informant stated in her Fardbeyan that reporting to the police would have caused denting of the family prestige in the estimates of the general public, as such, no report was lodged. But the informant learnt that a man in the police uniform had been seen loitering around her house for the last 3-4 days and probably he had enticed Baby Devi away.

(3.) On 14.01.1996, P.W. 1 the informant learnt that her daughter had been kept confined in the house of this appellant Bunni Khatoon in Mohalla Thakurbari in Jehanabad and had pushed her daughter into flesh trade. The informant along with others of the Mohalla came to the house of this appellant and found this appellant along with her daughter Baby Devi (P.W. 8) and co-convict Md. Iliyas in the house. Md. Iliyas was beaten up by the people.