SATISH KUMAR SINGH @ BALLU Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Sindhu Kumari alias Sarita died at the prime age of 25 years. Her husband, Satish Kumar Singh @ Bablu, the remaining appellant herein, has been in prison for the last more than six years on the charges of having committed, along with his parents, dowry death and also on the accusation of having destroyed evidence in order to screen himself and his parents from punishment for the dowry death so committed.

(2.) Whether the appellant, Satish Kumar Singh @ Bablu, along with his father, Rajeshwar Singh (since deceased), had destroyed the evidence of dowry death in order to screen himself and other co-accused from punishment are the principal questions, which have been raised in the present appeal, which has arisen out of the judgment, dated 26.08.2009, passed, in Sessions Trial No. 218 of 1999/426 of 2000, by learned Sessions Judge, Vaishali, at Hajipur, convicting the accused-appellant, Satish Kumar Singh @ Bablu, and his father, the accused-appellant, Rajeshwar Singh (since deceased), under Sec. 304-B and 201 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Following their conviction under Section 304B read with Sec. 34 of the Indian Penal Code, the accused-appellant, Satish Kumar Singh @ Bablu, and his father, accused-appellant, Rajeshwar Singh (since deceased), have been sentenced to suffer imprisonment for life. In consequence of their conviction under Section 201 read with Sec. 34 of the Indian Penal Code, both the accused-appellants aforementioned have been directed to suffer rigorous imprisonment for three years and pay a fine to the tune of Rs.10,000.00 each and, in default in payment of fine, the accused appellants have been sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for a period of six months each, the sentences having been directed to run concurrently.

(3.) The case of the prosecution, as unfolded at the trial, may, in brief, be described as under: