JUDGMENT

Shivaraj V. Patil, J.-Leave granted.

2. The appellant has filed this appeal, aggrieved by the order dated 19.8.2000 passed by the High Court confirming the order of conviction passed under Section 304-B IPC and sentencing the appellant to undergo rigorous imprisonment for seven years by the trial court. The appellant was tried for offences under Section 304-B and in the alternative under Section 306 IPC. The trial court acquitted the appellant of the charge punishable under Section 306 IPC and convicted him under Section 304-B IPC. The prosecution case in brief was that the appellant married Suman on 19.3.1991 at Saharanpur in U.P. He was asking his wife Suman to bring money from her parents and her parents were giving money to her from time to time. In June, 1995, Suman came to Saharanpur and told her mother that the appellant was demanding an amount of Rs. 20,000/- and she further told that the appellant had illegal relations with the girls of doubtful character and used to bring those girls to his house; those girls had beaten her; the appellant was ill-treating and harassing her; he subjected her to cruelty with the result Suman within a period of seven years of marr