KODEM RAMU Vs. STATE OF TELANGANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Criminal Appeal is filed against the judgment in S.C.No.392 of 2012 dtd. 27/2/2017 on the file of V Additional Sessions Judge, Kothagudem, wherein A-1 was found guilty for the offence punishable under Sec. 304-B of IPC and sentenced him to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of seven years and acquitted A-2 and A-3 for the aforesaid charge.

(2.) The brief facts of the prosecution are that the Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Kothagudem laid charge sheet against A-1 to A-3 before the III Additional Judicial Magistrate of First Class, Kothagudem, in Crime No.126 of 2011 on the file of III town police station, Kothagudem, for the offences punishable under Sec. 304-B of IPC.

(3.) The facts culled out of the charge sheet are that Vengala Venkata Lakshmi and Vengala Venkateshwarlu are the parents of the deceased i.e., K.Hemalatha. The marriage of the deceased was performed with A-1 at Kothagudem, who used to drive an auto for his livelihood and they were blessed with a daughter. The accused/A-1, his mother/A-2 and his brother/A-3 used to quarrel with deceased demanding her to bring additional dowry and to sell out the flat purchased on her name. The deceased informed about the disputes on phone to her parents who inturn approached P.W.1, who is the maternal uncle of the deceased and P.W.4, relative of the deceased and later a panchayat was held where the matter was pacified. Inspite of it, A-1 to A-3 did not change their attitude and continued to harass the deceased. The deceased and A-1 got separated from A-2 and A-3 and they started living separately in a rental house of Kodem Lakshmi/P.W.7. On 8/8/2011, the mother of the deceased came to Kothagudem in order to attend the death anniversary of her mother at the residence of P.W.1. The deceased and A-1 also attended the said function. A-1 left P.W.1 house after having lunch and deceased returned home at 9 p.m. On the said day, the father of the deceased visited deceased house, stayed upto 11 p.m. and thereafter left for Bhupalpally. P.W.7 observed the arrival and departure of the father of the deceased. Thereafter, both A-1 and the deceased quarreled on some issue and P.W.7 being the elderly women warned A-1 and slept. On 9/8/2011, at about 7 a.m., A-1 came out of the house and informed P.W.7 that his wife committed suicide by hanging and later informed the same to the parents of the deceased and others. The parents of the deceased and P.W.1 to P.W.7, visited the scene of offence and they came to a conclusion that A-1 might have killed the deceased or the deceased might have committed suicide due to unbearable harassment made by A-1 to A-3.