Judgment :

Dr. B.S. Chauhan, J.

1. This appeal has been filed against the judgment and order dated 5.2.2009 passed by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh in Criminal Appeal No. 862-DB of 2006, by which it has affirmed the judgment and order of the Sessions Court, by way of which and whereunder the appellant has been convicted for the offences punishable under Sections 302 and 404 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as `the IPC’), and sentenced to undergo life imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs.5,000/-, and in default of payment of fine, to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for one year under Section 302 IPC; and was also sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years and to pay a fine of Rs.500/-, and in default of payment of fine, to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for three months under Section 404 IPC. However, both the substantive sentences have been ordered to run concurrently.

2. Facts and circumstances as per the prosecution in brief, are as under:

A. Appellant got married to Sonia (since deceased), aged 30 years, in March 2003. It was an inter-caste marriage, and thus, was not approved of by Sonia’s family members. T