JUDGMENT :

R. T. VACHHANI, J.

1. Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the judgment and order of acquittal dated 08.05.2003 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Rajkot in Sessions Case No. 133 of 2001 for the offences punishable under Sections 498 -A, 302, 304-B, 34, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and Section 2 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, the appellant – State of Gujarat has preferred the present appeal under Section 378 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (“the Code” for short).

2. The brief facts leading to the filing of the present appeal are as under:

2.1. As per the prosecution case, the marriage of the deceased Rasilaben had taken place only three months prior to the incident with accused No. 2 Prakash alias Babo Govindbhai Chovatiya. During this short married life, all the four accused, along with juvenile accused Nitaben, taunted the deceased regarding household work, cooking and not bringing dowry, thereby subjecting her to mental cruelty. On 24.08.2001, in the farm shed owned by the accused at village Kharchiya, all the accused strangled Rasilaben with a cotton rope causing her death. To conceal the homicide, accused No. 1 Govindbhai Ma