JUDGMENT :-

A.K. Patnaik, J.

This is an appeal against the judgment dated 03.12.2003 of the Bombay High Court, Nagpur Bench, in Criminal Appeal No.10 of 1991 by which the High Court has maintained the conviction of the appellant for offences under Sections 306 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code (for short ‘the IPC’) and the sentence of rigorous imprisonment of three years and a fine of Rs.5,000/- for each of the aforesaid two offences by the Sessions Court.

2. The facts very briefly are that a written report was lodged by Gorsing Shewa Pawar (hereinafter referred to as ‘the informant’) on 17.07.1988 in the Police Station, Pusad (Rural). In this report, the informant stated that the appellant got married for the second time to his daughter Purnabai with the consent of his first wife with a hope to get a son from Purnabai and he treated her well for the first 2 to 2½ years but when she delivered a female child, the appellant and his family members started beating and harassing Purnabai and also did not provide her with meals and on 16.07.1988, the informant received a message that Purnabai died by drowning in the well at Bhandari. The informant has further stated in the report that he re