JUDGMENT :

HIMA KOHLI, J.

1. The present appeal has been preferred by the State of Madhya Pradesh, being aggrieved by the judgment dated 10th September, 2008 passed by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, whereby the judgment of conviction and sentence dated 17th December, 2003 imposed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge on the original accused No. 1, Jogendra-husband of the deceased, Geeta Bai (respondent No. 1 herein) and the original accused No. 2, Badri Prasad-father-in-law of the deceased (respondent No. 2 herein) has been set aside under Sections 304-B and 306 of the Indian Penal Code¹ [for short ‘IPC’] while maintaining the order of conviction imposed on the original accused no. 1-Jogendra under Section 498-A IPC and reducing the sentence from three years to the period already undergone by him, but setting aside the conviction and sentence imposed on the accused No. 2, Badri Prasad even under Section 498-A IPC.

2. A quick glance of the relevant facts is necessitated. The deceased was 18 years old when she got married to the respondent No. 1 (A-1) in a social marriage organisation function ² [Samuhik Vivaah Sammelan] conducted on 7th May, 1998. Before her marriage, Geeta Bai a