JUDGMENT :

1. This criminal appeal preferred by the appellants under Section 374 (2) of Cr.P.C. is directed against the impugned judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 15.02.2002, passed by Second Additional Sessions Judge, Balodabazar, District Raipur in Sessions Trial No. 182/2001 whereby the appellants have been convicted for offences punishable under Sections 304(b) & 34 IPC and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and to pay fine of Rs. 1000/- each with default stipulations.

2. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that the deceased was married to appellant No.1 as per their custom in the month of Baisakh, 2000. After marriage, the deceased was residing with appellant No.1 in her in-law house at Bilaigarh. The appellants were harassing the deceased in the name of dowry and torturing her by saying that she was working with one hand. It is alleged that when she became ill, the treatment of the victim/deceased was done by her parents at Bilaigarh and thereafter she returned back to Kera in her matrimonial house and on the next date, the information of death of the deceased was given to her parents. It is further alleged that the family members of the