JUDGMENT

Dr. ARIJIT PASAYAT, J. —

1.Challenge in this appeal is to the order passed by a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court upholding the conviction of the appellant for an offence punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (in short the ‘IPC’) and sentence of imprisonment for life as awarded by the learned Sessions Judge, Rohtak in Sessions Case No.31 of 1997.

2.The appellant was charged for offences punishable under Sections 498-A, 304-B and 302 IPC. The trial Court found the accused guilty of offence punishable under Section 302 IPC while acquitting her from the other charges.

3.Background facts in a nutshell are as follows :

“Suman (hereinafter referred to as the ‘deceased’) daughter of Balbir Singh had been married with one Bikram Singh son of accused-appellant, resident of village Kabulpur about two years prior to the incident. At about 9.00 A.M. on 6th April, 1997, the deceased and the accused had a quarrel over the inadequate dowry brought at the time of the marriage. As the deceased was fed up with the daily squabbles, she picked up a can of Kerosene oil to scare her mother-in-law-the appellant with an intention to keep her quiet, but the appel