JUDGMENT

1. The point for consideration in this appeal is whether the appellant can be held guilty for offence under Section 304-B IPC on account of the suicide committed by his wife within seven years of marriage which could be called a dowry death". For that purpose the only evidence of the prosecution available is that of PW II, the father of the deceased Usha Rani. It does not matter much that the same was corroborated by PW 12 for it has to be examined whether the harassment meted out to the deceased shortly before her suicidal death could be attributed to anything concerning demand of a dowry.

2. The statement of PW 11 is to the effect that the appellant was married to his daughter Usha Rani on 27-8-1983. It is stated that the appellant was well disposed towards his wife for 5 or 7 months thereafter but then differences arose. The apparent reason was that PW 11, who had been a resident of Jalandhar had shifted to Panipat the town where the spouses resided. Having settled at Panipat, he had constructed two houses and a shop. The appellant started asking that the house be transferred to him as also the shop which was not agreed to by PW 11. Then came a demand of Rs 10,000 from