High Court Of Delhi
DEVI DUTT MALHOTRA - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF DELHI - Respondent
Decided On : 04/22/2002
Held:
In this case, admittedly, the deceased was married to petitioner No. 2 at Amritsar. After her marriage, the couple shifted to Delhi and started living here. Petitioner No. 1, father-in-law of the deceased, continue to live at Amritsar, As per the statement of Smt. Kamlesh Kumari, land-lady, petitioner No. 1 was seen in Delhi for the first time only after the death of the deceased. The allegations in the FIR that petitioner No. 1 used to harass her daughter and taunt that his house was not a Sarai and that she should bring dowry from her parents appear to have been added after the FIR was concluded. Mother of the deceased in her statement did not make any allegation of harassment or demand of dowry against petitioner No. 1. She only alleged that jewellery of the deceased was not returned by the petitioner despite demand but there is no charge under Section 406, IPC. The brother of the deceased in his statement has only alleged that petitioner No. 1 used to harass his sister for dowry. The allegations are not only vague but do not corroborate each other. In my view, these circumstances may give rise to some suspicion but not to a grave suspicion, so as to warranting the framing of charge. Framing of charge does affect liberty of a person and a cautions approach in such like matters is called for. The position could be different if allegations were either more specific or corroborating, each other.
( 1 ) THIS revision petition is directed against the order dated 10. 4. 1997, passed by the court of Ms. Rekha sharma, ASJ, Delhi, holding that prima facie case under section 498-A IPC is made out against Devi Dutt Malhotra, (petitioner No. l - father-in-law) and under Sections 498-A/304-B IPC against Pramod Kumar, (petitioner No. 2 - husband), of the deceased.
( 2 ) FACTS in brief are that petitioner No. 2 is son of petitioner No. l; that the deceased (Meenu) was married to him at Amritsar; after the marriage they started living in Delhi. On 26. 6. 1994 she was found dead and her body was found hanging from the ceiling fan, by their landlady (Kamlesh ). Parents of the deceased were informed. Father of deceased (Satpal) made a statement before the S. D. M. , stating that his daughter (Meenu) was married with Pramod Kumar on 20,9. 91, In the marriage he had given the dowry to the best of his capacity. In between. Pramod asked for Rs. 40,000. 00, which he had given after raising a loan and he was paying the interest thereon. On 18. 6-1994 he came to Delhi to see his daughter. She told him that her husband was in bad habit of gambling and whenever she tries to persuade him not to do so, she was given beating. He wanted to take his daughter alongwith him but Pramod Kumar refused. He wend back. After receiving the information about the death of his daughter he came to Delhi. He felt that his daughter was first beaten up and thereafter hanged on the fan. Earlier when he alongwith his wife have stayed with his daughter, during that period she was also beaten up by her husband and they were insulted and money was also demanded. After he had gone from Delhi his son-in-law continued to harass his daughter and demanding dowry. He identified the dead body of his daughter. This statement was read over to him and he accepted the same to be correct. Thereafter, it is recorded that his "samdhi D. D. Malhotra (petitioner No. I), also used to harass my daughter, used to taunt her, saying that his house is not a SARAI, bring dowry from your parents". On the basis of this statement, above noted case was registered.
( 3 ) LEARNED counsel for the petitioners, at the outset, submits that he has instructions not to press the petition of petitioner No. 2 Parmod Kumar (husband of deceased), who has been charged under Sections 304b/498a ipc. He would press the petition only of petitioner No. 1, devi Dutt Malhotra, under Section 498a IPC. On behalf of petitioner No. 1 he argued that admittedly, he was living at Amritsar (Punjab), that the allegation against him in fir to the effect that he used to say to the deceased "that his house is not a sarai" was added subsequently; he was seen for the first time in Delhi after the death of meenu, as per the statement of land lady Kamlesh. He argued that petitioner No. 1 is a sick and infirm person and is suffering from acute cardiac problem and the charge against him is liable to be quashed. In support of his submission, reliance was placed on the Supreme Court decision in Ramchandra Vs. State of M. P. 2001 (3) Crimes sc 166. Learned APP for the State referring to the statements of father, mother and brother of the deceased argued to the contrary. Reliance was placed on the law laid down by the Supreme Court in (i) Minna Devi Vs. State of Rajasthan and anr. 2001 (8) SC 172, (ii) State of M. P. Vs. S. B. Johari and Ors, 2000 (1) Crimes 165 (SC), (iii) Ram Kumar Laharia Vs. State of Madhya Pradesh and anr. , 2001 1ad (Cr.) S. C. 54, (iv) Om Wati V. State 2001 supreme Court Cases (Cri) 685.
( 4 ) I have considered the rival contentions. Each case depends on its own facts. At the time of framing of charge the court has powers to weigh and sift the material for the limited purpose to find out whether prima facie, a case is made out against the accused or not. The court is not expected to act as the post office to the decision of investigating agency. When there is "some suspicion" but not "grave suspicion"
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