IMPORTANT POINT
The judgment establishes that to prove abetment of suicide under Sec. 306 I.P.C., there must be evidence of instigation or aiding in suicide, and mere quarrels or demands without direct or indirect acts of incitement do not constitute abetment of suicide.

JUDGMENT

1. Accused, in Sessions Case No.32 of 2015 on the file of the learned IV Additional District and Sessions Judge, Kurnool [for short, "the trial Court"], is the appellant herein. She was tried for the offence punishable under Sec. 304-B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 [for short, "I.P.C."].

2. Vide Judgment, dtd. 26/2/2016, the learned Sessions Judge convicted the Accused under Sec. 235(2) of Cr.P.C. Instead of convicting her for the offence under Sec. 304-B I.P.C. the trial Court convicted the accused for the offence under Sec. 306 I.P.C. Accordingly, she was sentenced to undergo Rigorous Imprisonment for Five (5) Years for the offence punishable under Sec. 306 I.P.C.

3. For the sake of convenience, the parties will be referred to as arrayed before the trial Court.

4. The facts, as culled out from the evidence of prosecution witnesses, are as under:-

(a) P.W.1-Shaik Sali Bee is the mother of the deceased/Reshma. Reshma was given in marriage to the accused's son, who is deaf and dumb. P.W.1 gave the accused Rs.50,000.00 cash and two tulas of gold towards dowry. Her son-in-law used to look after her daughter well, but the accused used to harass her, directing her to do agricultural work and business work of selling fruits on a push cart. As such, her daughter agreed to do agricultural work but used to refuse the work of selling fruits on a push cart. On her refusal, the accused used to beat her daughter as well as her son-in-law.

(b) P.W.1 further stated that on 23/12/2013, she received a phone call from one villager of Penchikalapadu. She was informed that her daughter poured kerosene on her body, and P.W.1 rushed to the Government Hospital, Kurnool and found her daughter sustained burnt injuries. On being enquired, her daughter stated about the harassment made by the accused earlier, even though her daughter requested the accused give them the house. They will live by doing work, but the accused did not accept her request and stated that she go and live anywhere with her husband or else go and die; vexed with the accused's attitude, her daughter decided to commit suicide and poured kerosene on her body. On 24/12/2013 at 2.00 A.M., her daughter died due to unbearable harassment made by the accused. Police recorded the statement of her daughter at Government Hospital, Kurnool.

(c) P.W.8-J. Ramesh Kumar, Sub-Inspector of Police, stated that on 23/12/2013 at about noon, he received M.L.C intimation from Government Hospital, Kurnool; immediately, he went to the Government Hospital at 12.30 noon and recorded the statement of the deceased/Reshma and obtained her thumb impression on her statement. Based on the statement, he registered the case in Crime No.85 of 2013 under Sec. 498-A of I.P.C. and Ss. 3 and 4 of the D.P. Act. Ex.P5 is the statement of the victim, and Ex.P6 is the F.I.R. He further stated that he again visited the Government Hospital and recorded the victim's statement under Sec. 161 Cr.P.C., and visited the scene of the offence, prepared observation panchanama, and seized the Material Objects from the scene of the offence. Ex.P7 is the observation panchanama.

(d) P.W.9-K.G. Eswaraiah, A.S.I. of Police, stated that on 24/12/2013, he received M.L.C. death intimation through a doctor intimating the death of the deceased/Reshma. He altered the Sec. of Law from Sec. 498-A I.P.C. and 3 and 4 of D.P. Act and Women Burns to Sec.

04-B I.P.C. in Crime No.85 of 2013 of K. Nagalapuram Police Station. Ex.P8 is the M.L.C. death intimation, and Ex.P9 is the altered F.I.R. Later, he sent a requisition to P.W.5-MRO to conduct an inquest over the dead body of the deceased. After completing the inquest, he handed over the dead body to the deceased's blood relatives. (e) P.W.5-Bala Ganeshaiah, Tahsildar, stated that on 24/12/2013, he received a requisition to conduct an inquest over the dead body of the deceased through Sub Divisional Police Officer, Kurnool. Later, he led an inquest over the dead body of the deceased and recorded