NUKAPANGU VENKAIAH Vs. STATE OF A.P.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The appellant was convicted for the offence under Sec. 304- B of IPC and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of ten years vide judgment in S.C.No.504 of 2009, dtd. 30/1/2014 passed by the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Miryalguda. Aggrieved by the same, present appeal is filed.

(2.) Briefly, the case of the prosecution is that complainant/P.W.1 is the father of the deceased. Deceased is the wife of the appellant. P.W.1 arranged her marriage with the appellant in 2007, giving Rs.1,50,000.00 as dowry. They lived happily after marriage in Lingagiri village. After sometime, appellant started harassing the deceased demanding additional dowry of Rs.1.00 lakh and sent the deceased to her father's house. PW1 expressed his inability to fulfill this demand and sent her back to her marital home. On 20/5/2009, PW1 visited Lingagiri and consulted the village Sarpanch (PW4) and other elders (PWs 5, 6, and 17). A panchayat was held, where the elders admonished the appellant, who then promised to stop the harassment, leading to a brief period of harmony.

(3.) However, on 20/6/2009, the appellant allegedly sent the deceased again for Rs.1.00 lakh. P.W.1 again expressed his inability to provide the additional dowry. The deceased returned to her husband the next day and informed P.W.1 over the phone that the harassment was continuing.